


Of Blond Hair and Blue Eyes

by LadyElocin



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action, Angst, Drama, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied LawLu, Jealousy, M/M, Mpreg, MxM - Freeform, OP verse, Post-Timeskip, Pregnant Sanji, Romance, Sexual Content, Yaoi, mature - Freeform, nakamanship, protective Zoro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2018-12-05 08:54:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 183,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11574693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyElocin/pseuds/LadyElocin
Summary: A night of passion turns into a life-long confusion. The story of two stubborn idiots wherein they learn that love and ambition come with a lot of pain and sacrifices.ZoSan. Yaoi. Mpreg. And YES, a lot of Sanji and Zoro drama.This story was first posted in Fanfiction.net.July 13, 2017 © Lady Elocin





	1. The Marimo & The Cook

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. It belongs to the genius sensei Eiichiro Oda.**

Hi! Thank you for reading my first Zosan fanfic! I would also like to thank the wonderful [**savvy-bean**](http://savvy-bean.tumblr.com) for beta'ing this story. Wish you all the best, dear!

You can reach me through this e-mail: **ladyelocin.writings@gmail.com**

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_Cover art by me! :)_

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**Chapter 1: The Marimo & The Cook**

 

"Oi, shitty cook. Gimme some booze."

Sanji gave a heavy sigh while chopping some damn onions. He had his hands full with dinner preparations and the least he could have was some damn green moss ball whining about some fucking booze. "Shut up, Marimo. We're having tea for dinner. It's Nami-san's tea party, so stop your shit."

Being the barbarian that he was, Zoro gave a rebellious grunt. The swordsman crossed his arms over his chest, eyebrows knitting together more firmly than usual. "Ah? What's that, shitty cook? The hell do I care about that witch's tea party?"

A vein popped out of Sanji's forehead. He sent a deathly glare to the swordsman. "Stop talking shit about Nami-san, stupid Marimo! Want me to shave your mossy head and fillet you?"

It had already been out of reflex when Zoro unsheathed two of his katanas and got ready for a brawl with Sanji. "Ah? Wanna fight, ero-cook? I'm gonna cut you into cubes, you damn Curlybrow!"

Sanji pointed his knife towards the barbarian and chopped him a thousand times in his mind. "Just try to make a commotion in my kitchen..." He narrowed his eyes to the Marimo, imposing an intimidating aura like a predator protecting its territory. "...and I will serve you soiled socks for a month." He continued to send glares to the swordsman, his well-polished knife glistening a deathly glow of yellow by the radiance of the kitchen lamp.

"Tch. Then let's take it outside." Sanji was about to comply with the damn moss ball's challenge when someone barged inside the kitchen door without even a knock or a fair warning.

"Sanji! I'm hungry! Meat! Meat! Meat!" The stupid-ass-of-a-rubberman they call 'captain' had the nerve to barge in like some wild animal through his precious haven. Said dumbass had a history of it and Sanji had already drilled into his head a thousand times over how rude that was. But being as stupid as he can be, their captain just laughed idiotically while saying, "Sorry! Sorry!"

"Dinner's in 30 minutes. Get out, Luffy." Sanji said, almost exhausted.

"Eh? Then why is Zoro here?" Luffy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, cocking his head to the side innocently. Why did he have to go out and Zoro got to stay? "Gimme some snacks, Sanji."

"Shut up, you bottomless pit. No snacks before dinner, you'll ruin your appetite."

"But... I'm hungry!" Luffy exclaimed, banging his fists on the counter like a spoiled brat.

"Then go chew some wood over there on deck," Sanji said irritated, continuing with his dinner preparations.

Luffy made a childish sound and puffed out his cheeks. "Meanie."

"Come on, Luffy. It's the pansy cook's time of the month." Zoro tugged luffy by his ear, making it stretch in an inhumanly way as the captain was dragged towards the door.

Sanji frowned at Zoro at this remark. "What did you say, shitty swordsman?" He growled at Zoro but the other guy seemed unfazed by his irritation. He just waved his hand dismissively, banging the door behind him, and leaving the cook in his fit of rage. Damn that marimo, he really got on his nerves in the most spiteful and irritating way. Fucking shithead didn't even know what etiquette was.

He fixed his eyes on the frizzling garlic and onions on his pan. His body moved reflexively in the kitchen, like each limb was programmed to move without voluntary consciousness. That was how adept he was as a chef. His dream was not only to find All Blue, but also to be the greatest chef alive and kicking in the Grand Line and in all Four Blues. That shitty geezer Zeff would surely piss his pants.

He tried, really. He tried to focus on what he was doing but, it seemed like his mind was drifting into something fucking undesirable and was better to be buried into oblivion. He viciously tried to harass his mind with the images of lovely women with large boobs and sexy curves. Women in skimpy bikinis. His precious Nami-swan and Robin-chwan. His eyes almost turned into hearts... if it weren't because of that gray eye. That steely orb boring into his soul like a parasite, draining his blood until it all ran out. Those heated stares, warm pants and wet tongue that left him breathless. That sexy scar on his left eye and that remarkable lesion running across his left shoulder to his right hip. Those calloused hands roaming every inch of his skin, crawling like venomous snakes on his lithe body and drawing ambiguous patterns that made him shiver ever so slightly. And that grass hair. That fucking, annoying green hair. Those soft, short strands entangling between his fingers, tickling his palms and the ends biting into his skin as his grip tightened.

His cheeks warmed up. A strange pooling sensation started to gather in his gut. And he just slapped both of his cheeks. "Fuck." His hands were on both sides of his head, his cheeks fucking throbbing against his palms. "Pull yourself together, Black Leg," he said to himself. He did not want to remember that _night_. Not in a million years. It was just a one-time thing, a grave and honest mistake. It was never in their "cleanest" intention but, what’s done was done. If life wasn't such a bitch... That damn marimo didn't even remember a bit about it; while Sanji here, was almost drowning in his own recollection. That was what pissed him off the most. It was the most logical explanation as to why he was so grumpy and pushy to the swordsman more than usual this past month–always throwing snarky comments and starting up a fight.

His beloved Robin-chan already asked him if he was alright, and why he was so pissed at Zoro. She really was a very perceptive and observant woman. The crew members seemed to be oblivious to his behavior, setting the brilliant archeologist aside. She knew that something wasn't right, and that he was a bit tense around the marimo. He just thanked the raven-haired woman for her concern and began declaring his undying love for her. She flashed her beautiful smile and that was all it took to melt Sanji's heart. He knew that Robin wasn't buying his "just a headache and the marimo was really pissing me off" reason. She even suggested to him going to visit Chopper if the headache persisted. Such a thoughtful and considerate woman, unlike a certain marimo species.

Women were lovely, soft and curvy. They smelled delicious, dressed stunningly, and looked beautiful. Ah! They were Sanji's goddesses! The marimo on the other hand, was nothing but a brainless brute–a barbaric musclehead with no discretion at all, always saying stupid things from his stupid mouth. But he couldn't deny that the marimo was sometimes a bit attractive. Especially when he was lifting those stupidly humongous weights, his eyes strained with deep concentration, muscles flexing at the most fucking right angles, and his chiseled abs glistening with sweat. Hell would need to freeze over before he admitted that out loud.

Not that Sanji liked men, he loved women a million times over. It was just a bit bothering that he found the marimo "attractive" and that Zoro just happened to be a man. His rival to boot.

For fuck's sake...

Sanji cursed. His garlic and onions were much darker than what they should be. "Shit." He burned them. But he wouldn't waste food. Not until he was breathing and kicking. He knew that he would come up with a remedy later on because that was how it always was. Not that he was bragging about his skills, but he just knew how good he was at cooking.

While he was peeling some potatoes for his soup, Sanji suddenly got a sick feeling. His vision swam a bit as his throat swelled up with acid. He stopped peeling and sat on the bar stool. He planted his elbow on the counter and palmed his face. He was having a goddamn headache again. Perhaps he should really pay Chopper a visit sometime soon.

He grabbed a cigarette stick and his gold lighter from his pant pocket. Flicking the lighter on, Sanji sucked in a joyful breath, filling his mouth and lungs with that sinful taste of nicotine. It relaxed him every time. His cigs were his best buds. As he inhaled a third lungful, he felt an itch in his throat and began coughing out the smoke.

"Already dying shit-cook?"

Sanji raised his head up and gave the bastard a death glare. "I'm not gonna give you the benefit of enjoying your life. So no. I'm not dying, you asshole."

"Che." The swordsman grunted. Annoying cook. "Robin told me to help you."

"What?"

"You deaf or stupid?"

Sanji rolled his eyes and continued to savour his cigarette. "Just get the fuck out, marimo. I don't need any help."

"Figures." When Zoro turned around and was about to open the galley door, they were both surprised when the cook said "Eait." Zoro looked over his shoulder, an eyebrow arched questioningly.

Sanji stood there behind the counter, frozen and speechless. What the fuck did he do that for? He didn't want Zoro to wait, he wanted him far away. But his mouth just moved according to its own. "What?" the swordsman said, irritated.

"N-Nothing." The cook averted his eyes, his aura shifting from being surprised to sudden concentration on his recipe. "Just get out, asshole." He heard Zoro mumble something before he finally exited the galley door. Sanji gave a heavy sigh and propped himself up against the counter, his cigarette burning between his index and middle fingers. What the fuck was wrong with me? He questioned himself.

And then it happened. He smelled something bad and he instantly flipped his eyes open. "Fuck!" He ran toward his grilling chicken legs. He immediately put them out the fire, placing them on a clean china plate. When the commotion died down and his adrenaline declined to its normal level, he stared at his food for a moment with unbelieving eyes.

Fuck.

He just burned his own beloved food.

\- TBC.

 

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Drawn by the wonderful [Mossybrows](https://mossybrows.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: [ladyelocin](http://ladyelocin.tumblr.com)  
> Instagram: [ladyelocin](http://instagram.com/ladyelocin)


	2. Burnt

**Chapter 2: Burnt**

Sanji sometimes wondered if his fool of a captain had some internal clock for food because the moment he placed the last dish on the table, the rubber bastard flung the galley door open and rushed towards the extravagant dinner like some kind of wild animal. Of course, that rude behavior earned the captain a well-placed footprint on his face. "Dammit, Luffy! Wait until the others are here, you shitty captain!" the cook shouted.

"But Sanji!" Luffy whined as he massaged his nose. "I'm so hungry! You're late!"

"I know, idiot. That's why I made more dishes and more meat for you." It was a compensation in the least. At that, the stupid captain’s eyes shining like fucking stars. He started to salivate akin to a stray dog. Of course, Sanji was fucking later than usual with his dinner preparation because of that freaking grilled chicken. He instantly pulled the dish from tonight's menu, tucking the burnt meat inside an empty cupboard. He would never serve his nakama burnt food and he would also never waste food, even if it was burnt to a charred crisp. Sanji knew the pain of starvation more than anyone else in this ship. That was why he decided to still eat them later.

"Meat! Meat! Meat!" the captain chanted and took his seat.

The other members started flooding inside the galley. "May I have the honor of offering your seats, my mellorines?" Sanji inquired as he bowed courteously, offering Nami and Robin their seats. The two ladies chuckled and thanked him. Ah! The sweet scent of fragrant flowers!

He looked at his nakama. Okay, so where was that damn moss ball? Napping again? Sanji sighed and pocketed both of his hands as he walked towards the galley door. Oh he was so kicking that damn marimo awake. Nobody misses his meals, not even that marimo bastard. Then as if on cue, the door opened and a walking moss suddenly entered the galley. Sanji arched his brow at the intruder. The marimo was cleaning himself up with a towel, his face, neck and arms reeking of sweat. "You're late, marimo," Sanji demanded as he crossed his arms, maintaining dominance. This was his fucking kitchen and he was its fucking king, the marimo had to deal with his shit.

"I was training, shitty cook." The marimo walked past him, tossing his towel upon his shoulders. "Why don't you stop flipping pans here and train outside?"

"I can already beat you even if I don't train, bastard."

Zoro let out a snort, like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard of in his entire fucking life. His nakama started their own noisy agenda on the dinner table. They didn't pay attention to the two of them because they all knew that his and Zoro's exchange of snarky remarks happened all the time. And when something happened all the time, you just tend to ignore it. "You and your lame excuses, curly-brow," Zoro said with a smug grin on his face.

"Ah?!" Sanji growled and lifted his left leg dangerously. "Want me to stick a foot so high up your ass, bastard?!"

"Oh, come on, you two! Stop that and eat!" Nami said exasperatedly, gesturing to the two vacant seats on the dinner table.

"Sorry, Nami-swan!" Sanji exclaimed lovingly at his orange-haired princess. The marimo muttered something under his breath but Sanji just ignored the damn bastard. It was his Nami-swan's tea party. He couldn't afford to ruin it just because of an annoying green moss ball.

"Cook-san? Where are you going?" Sanji stopped on his tracks and looked at Robin. She had a cup of tea in her delicate hands, a curl of smoke hitting her face gently.

Sanji smiled. "Just going to get some juice, Robin-chan."

"Aren't you going to eat? Luffy's going to eat your share, you know." At that, the bottomless pit of a captain continued to snatch food around the table. Franky, Usopp and Chopper altogether shouted at their captain who just laughed and continued to gobble down everything that he could touch.

"I put my plate aside, Robin-chan. My heart melts because of your concern." After that, the raven-haired woman did not push any further. Sanji took a tangerine juice from the refrigerator and poured some on his glass. He was not in the mood for some tea. And it was weird, because he always loved tea. But right now, his taste buds wouldn't just cooperate with him. He found it a bit rude to not participate at his Nami-san's tea party. But she didn't seem to mind so he thought that it was alright.

After an hour or so, his nakama thanked him for a delicious meal and walked outside one after another. But of course, the marimo didn't even say a word before he got up and leave the galley. Well, nothing wrong with that. Just being his typical discourteous self. When Sanji was left alone with his thoughts and with his second glass of tangerine juice, he got up from the bar stool and walked towards his cupboard. He took the burnt chicken out and placed the platter on the counter.

"Now it was just me and you fellas." He snorted at his own words. He was going insane. He was talking to fucking burnt chicken legs. He settled down on the bar stool once again and uttered a low "itadakimasu" before taking a bite on the first chicken leg. He almost puked at his third chew. The meat was definitely burnt, and it tasted bad. He continued to eat the meal, sometimes coughing in between chews. The coal coated meat tasted slightly bitter and felt rough on his tongue. And it was entirely his fault.

In his fifth chicken leg, Sanji propped his elbow on the counter, pressing his forehead against the back of his hand which was still holding a piece of burnt meat. He closed his eyes and tried hard not to vomit at the devastating taste. He felt nausea coming at him in small waves, pounding at his temples and making his throat throb.

"Oi, cook."

Sanji almost jumped on his feet. "What the fuck?" His eyes stared widely at the marimo standing before him at the other side of the counter. "Don't just start talking like that, asshole!" Bastard came in like a cat and started talking out of thin air! Who wouldn't be startled by that?

"Idiot." The swordsman crossed his muscled arms over his firm chest, his three swords safely tucked inside his haramaki. He wondered a bit why Sanji had been jumpy lately. He should've sensed him through his observation haki. However, the swordsman just shrugged it off. Zoro's good right eye glanced down on the platter. "You got some secret stash or something?"

Sanji instinctively tried to hide the platter as his hands gripped its edges. "It's… It's not–" Sanji trailed off. He wasn't so sure what to say to the swordsman now that the evidence was nothing but clearly lain in front of him. "Look, it's my fault but–"

"You're eating burnt food?" Zoro's piercing gray eye landed on him, his face pulled into a scowl.

Sanji opened his mouth but nothing came out. Yes, I was eating fucking burnt food, bastard, he thought. "I had to." That was the only reply that he could muster.

"Just cook something else. Throw that away."

Sanji frowned at him. "I'm not wasting any food in my kitchen. So if you please, just get the fuck out while I enjoy my dinner. Thank you," he said, sarcasm clearly embedded in his tone.

"Enjoy?" The swordsman retorted. "You look like some drunken bastard having a hangover."

Sanji cringed at the insult. "You are the last one I should be listening to bitching about a fucking hangover, small memoried swordsman!"

"What did you say?" Zoro yelled at him, smacking the counter with his own fist.

"I said..." Sanji stood up, glaring at the stupid swordsman. "You're so stupid and have a memory the size of a rotten cocoa bean!"

The two pushed their foreheads against each other. Their teeth bared and no one dared to back down. Zoro gripped the cook's favorite pinstripe blue shirt. "What the hell's your problem, shitty cook?" he snarled.

The blonde held the swordsman's fist. "Don't fucking ask and try to remember, idiot!" Sanji pushed Zoro away, making the other man stumble a little. Zoro was a little surprised. The cook had never pushed him away before. It was either a kick to his head or to his shin. "Get the fuck out!" the blonde yelled. "Get the fuck out of my kitchen!"

Zoro gritted his teeth. "Fine! I hope you choke on that burnt piece of shit! Your food had never tasted good anyway!" The swordsman walked out of the galley, slamming the door behind him so loud that Sanji almost thought that the hinges wouldn't hold out. The blonde slumped back on the bar stool and the weariness of the earlier conversation started to dawn on every fiber of his being. Sanji ran his hands over his face and ended up clutching at his hair, not caring to mind the grease of the burnt chicken at all.

He admitted to himself that he'd been too grumpy lately. He had mood swings faster than he could blink. He got easily irritated of the smallest things and just thinking about Zoro forgetting about that fucking _night_ was making his blood boil. He wasn't supposed to feel this way. He must be happy because the stupid marimo had forgotten that mistake. Yet, why was he affected so much? He didn't want Zoro to remember. And yet he felt really upset. He was attracted to the marimo, that much he could admit. He didn't even protested when the "thing" happened. He was a little sober than Zoro back then, and yet he didn't stop the swordsman's advances. It felt great. It felt great to be inside Zoro's arms, to be crushed under his bulky weight and to be spread wide open for the other man. He knew deeply inside that he had always wanted Zoro. He had always longed for him, so when that chance came, even though he couldn't remember how they got into that fucking situation, he took it without hesitation. Due to alcohol perhaps. But he knew well that the booze only gave him the confidence to act upon his secret desires. The alcohol was not to be blamed. It was his fault after all, not Zoro's.

The marimo didn't know what he was doing. Bastard didn't even remember what happened the following morning for fuck's sake! When Sanji woke up before him, the blur of that night started to swirl clearly into him. He immediately got up, ignoring the shooting pain on his lower back. He cursed silently as he struggled to collect his clothes and sliding them on with gusto to flee the scene. He glanced at the half-naked swordsman who was snoring stupidly. At least the marimo only took off his robe, leaving him with his haramaki and pants on. Sanji blushed. He didn't remember some of the things that happened while some events were blurry enough to be left alone. However, his body couldn't forget Zoro's burning touches against his skin. The love kisses on his body and neck were proof of that. Fuck, he would have to hide some of those hickeys. Without saying a word, Sanji turned around and limped his way out of the crow's nest.

After that "thing" happened, he'd been left with uncertain emotions and it was starting to piss him off. Not to mention his fucking anger fits towards a certain marimo. "What the fuck's wrong with me?" he cursed and gripped his hair tighter. He had lost his appetite and there was still a fucking grilled chicken leg left. He grunted in frustration, taking the food in his mouth and chewed it with all his might. When he was finished, he took the platter to the sink and washed it.

-TBC


	3. That Night

**Chapter 3: That Night**  
  
Zoro walked out of the galley with a loud slam of the door. The frown on his face felt twice as deep. He was so annoyed of the cook that he didn't even bother to look at the confused faces of his crewmates. He made his way to the mast, climbing the metal bars leading to the crow's nest–his only quiet haven from this rowdy ship. In there, he could meditate as much as he wanted. He could take a nap without being bothered as much unlike when he would take one by the deck. In there, there was no annoying, foul-mouthed, bastard cook.  
  
Zoro placed his three swords carefully beside his set of weights before he went to the blue mat lying on the floor. He should really do some push-ups, deciding he needed to get this annoying feeling outside his system. He always did some exercise or training after some of his most annoying encounters with the cook. The exertion and pressure on every fiber of his muscles never failed to calm him down. He had to get strong. He had no time for minding the cook's shitty fits. Most of the time, the snarky comments just went through his ears, but sometimes when the cook was being specially pestiferous, he couldn't help but get a rise from it and challenge the cook into a session of rallying insults and a few exchange of hits. Not that both of them really meant their petty fights. They were just a way of letting off some steam anyway.  
  
He planted both hands on the mat, adjusting the distance between them before doing a handstand with his body and feet vertically suspended in the air. He put his left hand behind his back and started to count. A thousand for each arm wouldn't hurt for the first round. If he would be the world's greatest swordsman, then he should train his arm strength more. Powerful arms made powerful slashes. And powerful slashes made him one step closer to his dream.

* * *

  
  
"-san?"  
  
"Cook-san?"  
  
Sanji snapped back to reality because of that calm, soothing voice. His vision revealed dark blue eyes staring right into him. "Oh, Robin-chan. How may I help you?" Sanji said politely.  
  
"The water's running, Cook-san."  
  
He looked at the faucet and cursed in disbelief for wasting fresh water like this. "Oh, shit!" He immediately turned the faucet off then proceeded drying his hands on a clean kitchen towel. "I'm sorry for my rudeness," Sanji apologized for his impudent words a while ago. A gentleman never cursed in front of a beautiful lady like their ship's archeologist!  
  
The raven-haired woman chuckled. "It's nothing. Well, I must ask, Cook-san. What might seem the problem with swordsman-san? He looked very annoyed a while ago."  
  
Sanji frowned. "Did that moss brain idiot bother you, Robin-chan?"  
  
Robin shook her head. "No. I was just curious because it was one of the few occasions where he was actually pissed at you."  
  
Sanji could snort at that, but he would never do that in front of her so he just gave a polite chuckle. "That marimo is always pissed at me, Robin-chan. And the feeling is mutual." He opened the fridge, holding a stainless tray with a large cut of beef on it. If they would be having beef broccoli tomorrow, then he should start tenderizing the meat now.  
  
"I doubt that, Cook-san."  
  
Sanji looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"  
  
The archeologist just shrugged and gave her a heart-melting smile. "Who knows?" The woman tucked dark strands of hair behind her ears, making Sanji blush. "Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
Sanji's heart somersaulted inside his chest. A delicate lady was worrying for him! God, he could die happily! "I'm fine, Robin-chan. Please don't worry about me," he said with a smile.  
  
Robin shifted her weight a bit. "You've been spacing a lot lately. And you've been getting pissed off at swordsman-san quite regularly, too. Forgive my curiosity. But... is there something wrong between you and swordsman-san?"  
  
The question hit Sanji like lightning. He instantly paled in front of her and his heart beat inside his chest like a wild thunderstorm. It wasn't Robin's fault if she was so observant and perceptive. She'd always been like that from the very start. The woman seemed to notice Sanji's uneasiness. Taking a few steps across Sanji, Robin gracefully settled herself down on the barstool, propping her elbows on the counter and eyeing Sanji carefully. "I can listen to you, Cook-san."  
  
Now, Sanji's a dead meat. He felt like being between two massive boulders that were threatening to crush him at any moment. He was torn between his gentleman's principles and rejecting Robin's kind offer. He couldn't possibly blew her off now. She took the trouble of visiting him in the galley and lending her ears for whatever shit he'd been bearing for a month now. Sanji blew a resigned sigh before attending to the beef again. "I understand, Robin-chan. But let me boil this meat first."  
  
The archeologist closed her eyes and rewarded him with a friendly smile. "Take your time, Cook-san."  
  
After placing the beef inside the casserole with boiling hot water, Sanji washed his hands and wiped them dry. He worked in silence the entire time and tried to formulate in his mind the best approach on how to explain this shitty mess to Robin. After a few moments of cleaning and getting things in their rightful places, Sanji got the tangerine juice from the fridge and offered a glass to Robin. She accepted it with a smile. At that, Sanji sighed again defeatedly. There was no running from this now, huh? Sanji took a sip from his glass, tasting the blend of sourness and sweetness on his tongue.  
  
"Actually, Robin-chan..." he started. "It started a month ago. Way back when we anchored on Firework Island to get some supplies. It was a party island so the parties lasted all day and night." Robin hummed reminiscently to this, perhaps remembering some funny moments of the crew because the corners of her lips curved up into a smile. Sanji took a cigarette from his pocket and flicked his golden lighter on to light it. Now, this was where things got complicated. "On our last night, the crew was specially wasted. Everyone got drunk. Even Nami-san. Well, except for Chopper who immediately fell asleep with his bottle of milk." Sanji chuckled for a moment, but it immediately died down as he continued. "Zoro was guarding the ship that time. Luffy asked me to give the marimo a lot of booze and food for compensation, so I did."  
  
Sanji took a lungful of smoke and blew it to his side, feeling the rush of sinful nicotine along his veins. "When everyone was asleep, I went back to the ship to change my clothes because that airhead Usopp spilled some nasty drink on me. I was a little sober that time, I think, because I managed to get back without tripping on my own foot." Sanji shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I called for Zoro but the bastard wasn't answering. It was dead silent in the ship and I got worried for a moment that maybe we were attacked or something. So I went up the crow's nest to see how the idiot was doing. And then I saw him sprawled out on the floor, snoring in all his idiotic glory. The three barrels of sake that I gave him laid helplessly empty on the floor. That brute." Sanji frowned and blew his cigarette angrily. That bastard had the guts to drink and snore his lifespan away and left the ship unguarded. Sanji suddenly felt the urge to kick the moss head for that, but he immediately tucked his irritation away.  
  
"I walked towards him and nudged his knee, but the bastard wouldn't wake up. I really wanted to kick him but my head's spinning, so I just yelled at him. I was surprised when he suddenly clutched my leg and pinned me down on the floor. I yelled at him of course, shouting to get off me or I'd kick his ass, but he was so drunk. It was the first time that I saw his eyes dreading for sleep and his skin was so flushed that I actually thought that he might have bathed on boiling water or something, then..." Sanji trailed off. Robin watched her attentively and waited for him to continue. But after a few seconds fell between them, Robin finally broke the silence.  
  
"Then what, Cook-san?" the woman asked inquisitively. Her eyes were gleaming with curiosity, like she was extracting Sanji the information that she wanted to hear.  
  
Sanji flushed an angry red on his cheeks and ears. He hid his mouth behind the back of his hand and looked away. His heart felt like it ran a hundred miles, and he could feel heat pooling on every fiber of his being. "Then... he..." Sanji swallowed, already forgetting the cigarette on his other hand. "He... k-kissed me."  
  
Robin formed an 'O' with her mouth, her eyes swimming with different kinds of emotion. Surprise, perhaps. Sanji waited for a disgusted look, or even a menacing laugh from the beautiful lady, but none came. Instead, the archeologist looked more curious than ever. "Then? Is that why you've been so irritated with swordsman-san?"  
  
Sanji took her reaction for a moment with a bit of shock. She was making it sound like it was a normal thing for a guy to kiss another guy! They were both men, for god's sake! "N-No. It wasn't," he finally managed to say, but realized a moment too late that he might have somehow said that he liked the marimo's shitty kiss! He blushed embarrassingly at that, especially when the woman gave her a knowing smile. Sanji took a drag of his cigarette to calm his rapidly beating heart. He would take any kind of interruption from the crew if it would mean that he could get out from this embarrassing situation,  
  
"So what's the problem, then?" Robin asked.  
  
The blond tapped the ashes on his ashtray before placing the cigarette between his lips. The forgotten tangerine juice started pooling water at the base of the glass and it suddenly felt warm between his hands. "We were both drunk, Robin-chan. And you know that... things might happen between two drunk people."  
  
Robin watched as the cook's grip on the glass became tighter. Understanding started to dawn on her about the unspoken words. "So it was that then." The cook didn't say anything or even gave a small nod, but she knew from the tension on his shoulders, the thin line on his lips and with his head hanging low that they were basically on the same page.  
  
After a few painful seconds for Sanji, he took a drag from his cigarette and finally spoke up. "But the bastard didn't remember anything about it." He gritted his teeth. "I know that I should be thankful about it, that the shithead couldn't remember anything about that shitty mistake. But... it was irritating me, Robin-chan. And I know that between the two of us that time, I was the one who was somehow sober. And yet..." Sanji let go of the glass to clench his fist, his knuckles going white. "...I didn't stop his advances. Fuck. What's wrong with me?" Sanji felt the frustration ran in waves inside of him. He could practically thrash the whole ship because of what he was feeling right now. He couldn't even bother to apologize for his foul-mouth!  
  
"Nothing's wrong with you, Cook-san." Sanji snapped his head because of that remark. Robin was smiling at her, understanding and empathy visible on her soft lips and witty eyes. "I've always known that you have a fair amount of attraction to swordsman-san."  
  
Sanji's jaw went slack, and he instantly felt the urge to kick himself for making a lady say something outrageous like that! "Of course not, Robin-chan! Who would want that bastard marimo?" he said defensively. Well, yeah, he was sort of attracted a bit to the moss head. But STILL...  
  
The raven-haired woman laughed behind her dainty hand. "You don't have to be shy about it, Cook-san. Perhaps you should talk to swordsman-san about it?"  
  
Sanji paled at the suggestion. "I-I don't think that's a good idea, Robin-chan," he said and mentally kicked himself for rejecting a lady. "I don't want to cause any problem to the crew. Even though I can't stand that brute most of the time, he is still my nakama."  
  
A moment of silence hang above their heads. Sanji could see Robin deeply thinking about something, perhaps weighing other options viable for suggestion. But in the end, the archeologist just stood up and flashed him a heartwarming smile. "Well, if that's what you think you should do, then it's your choice, Cook-san. I hope I managed to ease some parts of the problem. And don't worry, I won't be saying a thing to another soul."  
  
Sanji blushed and smiled. "Thank you, Robin-chan. I feel a little better."  
  
"Good to know," Robin said with a smile. "And I shall be taking my leave now. I would finish this juice as I read my book in my room. You can always seek for me anytime if you need someone to talk to, Cook-san." The cook thanked her again and ushered her out of the galley like the gentleman that he was. He definitely felt better. It felt that there was a part of the burden that had been lifted off from his shoulders. Sanji looked out the window from the galley. Franky was on deck together with Usopp and Luffy. He was busy building his machineries and stuff, and his two companions seemed to be in awe of his latest inventions. Nami-san was at the wheel, reading her map and sometimes looking out to the sea. Chopper was probably inside his clinic grinding some weird medicinal herbs. Robin-chan was inside her room now and reading her book.  
  
The marimo.  
  
He was probably up the crow's nest, training with his ridiculously big set of weights or sleeping his life away. And here he was, inside the galley - his very own kingdom and safe haven. Things were going on normally like they should be. Each of them was doing what they loved most. Each of them was doing their best for their dreams. The crew was more than a group of pirates or even more than a group of stupid friends. They were family.  
  
And Sanji was not going to risk anything to dismantle that precious bond.  
  
-TBC


	4. Zoro's Answer

**Chapter 4: Zoro's Answer**  
  
It had been a month since Robin and Sanji had that "talk" in the galley. The archeologist didn't press the issue any further. Maybe because the cook tried to act normally again - making glorious food, doting on the ladies, yelling at Luffy for being a ravenous glutton, and kicking the shitty marimo awake. Yet here he was, in the men's quarter and having a fucking hard time buttoning his fucking black pants. "What the?" Sanji shuffled on his feet irritably. After a few tries, he was finally able to button his shitty pants. Maybe the marimo was right. He should probably train some more. His muscles were slowly losing their tone. He was starting to have a strange bump on his navel and it was irritating the fuck out of him. He was also getting tired more quickly than usual as well... Damn it all to hell.  
  
He couldn't afford to be out of shape. What if they were under attack? What if he was the one to drag this crew down just because he had a shitty stamina? No. That would never happen. It was a silent agreement between the crew that he, Luffy and Zoro were the core members of the Strawhats. The three of them knew that without being said. They were the ones who were in charge of protecting the crew at all cost with their insane raw power. Taking on whatever opponents faced them to protect the others. He hadn’t trained two years in hell for nothing. That was why he would do whatever it took to never be a burden to the crew.  
  
After buttoning up his long orange pin-stripe sleeves, Sanji went out of the room and walked towards the galley. It was a bright afternoon and Luffy was already running on deck with Chopper and Brook, all of them geared up with floatation devices. "Oi, Luffy!" Nami yelled at the captain. "I told you! You can't swim! I'm not saving your ass when you drown, idiot!" The navigator was wearing a pink bikini pair. Sanji felt blood itching at the back of his nose. Nami looked like a goddess in disguise for the love cook.  
  
"Eh? But Nami! Just a little bit!" Luffy insisted like a kid.  
  
"Yes! Yes, Nami! Please?" Chopper puppy eyed Nami and the orange-head beauty felt her anger drop down a few levels.  
  
"Ow!" Franky shouted and put both of his arms together above his head. "The suuuuuper pool is ready!" There was a rectangular barrier of floating spheres beside the Sunny. It was Franky's improvised "ocean pool." The crew sometimes had this time of relaxation, where there were no marines, yonkō, shichibukai or other pirates to be worried about. This was always the time when Sanji got to prepare snacks in their best and to dote on the ladies most.  
  
Everyone roused enthusiastically. Usopp ran from one side of the ship and sprung over the railing. "Usoooopp Diiiiive!" Then the water beside the ship erupted with a loud splash.  
  
"Wahoooo!" Luffy and Chopper went after Usopp, leaving Nami in a fit of frustrated yells.  
  
"Yohohoho! Nami-san. May I see your panties—" Nami punched Brook, throwing his bony ass on the water. The navigator huffed and flipped her long, wavy hair back. She called at Robin who was wearing a lavender one-piece, accenting her curvy figures more. Oh was the pair a delectable sight for sore eyes! Nami dove into the water while Robin climbed down the rope ladder and carefully laid on her pool bed. When Nami surfaced and placed her wet hair on her left shoulder, both ladies gave out elegant chuckles and Sanji almost bled out right there. Ah! The salty spray of the ocean on soft skin!  
  
Sanji paused in his ascend on the stairs when he saw something annoyingly unpleasant. Zoro was sprawled out on the stairs with both arms tucked behind his head and chest heaving with loud barbaric snores. A frown pulled the cook's eyebrows together. "Excuse me." Sanji put his hands on his pants' pockets and stepped on the marimo's stomach.  
  
"Ack!" Zoro doubled over, his arms flailing on his sides.  
  
Sanji leapt above the swordsman. As he landed a few steps ahead, the cook looked over his shoulder and flashed the marimo a boring look. "Oh, my bad. I didn't see your mossy ass there."  
  
"What the hell! I'm gonna kill you, shitty cook!" Zoro rose on his feet. He growled at the cook in annoyance, making the other smirk at him with satisfaction.  
  
"You're being a nuisance, marimo head. These are fucking stairs. Go take your shitty nap somewhere else." His lips craved for a cigarette as his hands fidgeted inside his pockets. The marimo mumbled something under his breath, and it irked Sanji in the nastiest way. "What's that, shitty swordsman?"  
  
Zoro glared at him. "I said go screw yourself, shitty cook."  
  
Something snapped inside Sanji. Something thin and sensitive that he just found himself throwing a kick at Zoro's head. The swords.man ducked quickly and few short green strands wafted in the air. "What the fuck, Cook?!" he exclaimed angrily.  
  
Sanji glared daggers at him, wishing that he could stab the bastard multiple times. "Stop saying those fucking things! You have no idea, shitty marimo!"  
  
"Huh?" Zoro grunted in confusion. "What the fuck are you saying? You are the one who kicked me out of nowhere, shitty cook! What the hell's wrong with you?!"  
  
Sanji took a deep breath. Calm yourself, Sanji. This idiot's not worth it, he said to himself. Zoro crossed his arms over his chest while his right eye drilled holes on the cook's skull. "If you have a problem with me, then say it."  
  
Sanji bit the inside of his cheek to hide his irritation and to prevent the stupid secret from spilling out. He was angry. He tried his best to contain his emotion and yet here he was, on the brink of exploding because of the brute's ignorance. "I have no problem with you," Sanji said calmly, turning around to shun the deathly glares of the swordsman.  
  
"Bullshit!" Zoro growled, took a few steps towards him and yanked the cook by his collar. "Don't make me say it again, Cook." Blue met gray. None of them dared to back down from glaring at each other. Zoro had this serious look all over his face and Sanji was sure that it was either he answered the swordsman now or picked a fight with him. And Sanji wasn't in the mood to brawl with the bastard now. He felt tired enough and his throat felt that it was being washed with acid.  
  
Sanji grabbed Zoro's wrist that was clenching threateningly tight on his collar. "Hand off my shirt, marimo," he said dangerously.  
  
"No. Not until you tell me what's wrong." Zoro brought their heads closer. The marimo was persistent if he was trying to be such an ass about something.  
  
Sanji clenched his teeth together, trying to swallow the acid rising from his throat as his temples pounded hard. "Get off!" Sanji shouted and tried to wriggle his shirt free from Zoro's death grip. He closed his eyes and attempted to focus on his breathing. He could feel sweat gathering on his neck. Fuck. He was gonna be sick. Sanji's grip on the marimo's wrist slackened. Zoro felt this sudden change of action which made him frown in confusion. Sanji's hands immediately flew to cover his mouth, but he failed to suppress the painful choke that came from his throat. He saw the confused expression of the marimo as his hand slowly released Sanji's collar. The cook didn't waste any second as he bolted towards the galley that instant. The door flung open with a loud bang. Sanji immediately hovered over the sink, turned the faucet on and threw the contents of his stomach out. He was gripping the edge of the counter so hard that his knuckles turned white. He took a few deep breaths to calm his system down, but instead of comfort, that nauseous feeling went back to him again in blows that he almost wrench his guts out. He felt terrible. His nausea was getting more and more frequent which annoyed the hell out of him.  
  
"Cook?"  
  
Sanji heard footsteps echo on the wooden floor of the galley. They were getting closer and he was still feeling like shit. Sanji swallowed, tasting the awful gustatory sensation of his vomit on his tongue and throat. He sensed Zoro's presence behind him. The marimo retained a safe distance between them but he knew that the swordsman was staring raptly at him. "What the hell was that? Are you sick?" Zoro asked.  
  
The blond let out a few gasping breaths. He scooped some water from the faucet and gurgled to erase the vile taste from his mouth. Sanji turned the faucet off and wiped his lips through the back of his hand. He felt a bit better after he emptied his stomach but the pounding on his temples was still there. "I'm fine," he replied with a strain on his voice. He coughed a couple of times to ease the itch on his throat.  
  
"Cook, if you're sick, then stop being a stubborn asshole about it and just pay Chopper a visit."  
  
Sanji laughed sarcastically. "Since when have you cared?" He shot Zoro a venomous look. "Look, marimo. I'm not sick. Now fuck off because I need to prepare the snacks. I can't allow the beautiful ladies to wait." He expected an irritated huff, a grumble, or a displeased remark. However, Zoro stayed there, looking at him fiercely with that gray eye. Then that _night_ flashed in Sanji's memory again. A painful clench suddenly ripped through his chest, taking away the breath that he was supposed to expel.  
  
Zoro took a couple of slow, dangerous steps closer. Sanji's heart started hammering in his chest. What the fuck? Why was he feeling so flustered about the marimo's proximity? Something's wrong with him. Something's definitely wrong with him. When Zoro was a foot away, his gray eye fell on Sanji with a livid emotion that left the cook breathless. "Go to Chopper, Cook," Zoro said lowly.  
  
"I told you. I'm not sick." Sanji tried to sound exasperated but failed miserably. Zoro's gaze held something that was far beyond his comprehension at the moment. But Sanji held that gaze. He held to it so much that his heart felt like melting. Zoro moved... and he found himself trapped between a pair of tan arms and the cold hard edge of the counter. His mouth parted a little, letting his brain wrap around the scenario taking shape in front of him.  
  
"Do it." Zoro hovered over him like a predator, intimidating Sanji until the very core of his being. The man was a bit taller than him. He never paid attention to that fact until now. Not that he could help it when the man in question was towering over him like this. "Go to Chopper." The swordsman sounded so serious that Sanji couldn't help but shudder a little. He never saw Zoro this serious, aside from that moment when he was facing Mihawk.  
  
"O-Oi. You're being too close, marimo," Sanji stammered out. He put a hand between them, planting his right palm on firm chest. Zoro's breathing was calm. And for a moment, Sanji was envious of him. His heart was hammering inside his chest like mad. He could feel heat flushing his cheeks, tingling his senses up to the tips of his fingers. Sanji almost jumped on his feet when the swordsman gripped his wrist.  
  
"Don't make this hard, Cook," Zoro started. "You're sick. Don't be a stubborn jackass." Sanji could feel the press of Zoro's knees on his. He couldn't avert his eyes from Zoro's. The man's gaze was like iron, chaining him on his feet to make any move impossible.  
  
"Why are you being so persistent, shitty marimo?" Sanji uttered as his hand balled on the man's chest. He held Zoro's gaze but he was the one to trap the other man this time. He needed to know. He had to know what Zoro was thinking right now or he might die of frustration. He was fucking confused as hell with his own feelings thus he needed affirmation. He wanted an answer from this man standing in front of him.  
  
Zoro frowned at Sanji. His grip tightened around the cook's wrist as he spoke out the answer that Sanji was dreading to hear. "Because you're nakama, idiot."  
  
All of the tension on Sanji's body seemed to seep out of him. His mouth closed, losing momentum of any response that he was about to say as he bowed his head. A moment of silence dragged on for a few seconds as the blond contemplated. Finally, Sanji huffed with a small smile on his lips. "I see." He smirked at Zoro. "I got it, shitty marimo. Move your mossy ass out of my way." He nudged against Zoro's chest and made his way out of the man's company. Sanji pulled a cigarette from his pants' pocket and tucked it between his lips, lighting it with a dexterous flick of his lighter. He paused at the doorway to look over his right shoulder so that Zoro was unable to see whatever expression he was wearing because of his hair. "Snack's going to be late though. Don't steal the sake while I'm away or I'll kick your ass." With that, Sanji walked out of galley and towards Chopper who was happily swimming on Franky's ocean pool.  
  
"Chopper!"  
  
The little doctor looked at him. "What is it, Sanji?"  
  
Sanji pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "Can you help me for a sec?"  
  
"Sure. Wait for me. Nami, can you push me to the side of the ship? I can't actually move." The doctor was a devil fruit user so he was practically disabled by the waves of the sea.  
  
"Okay, Chopper," Nami complied happily. Sanji watched as Nami swam while pushing Chopper towards the side of the ship where a rope ladder was draped from the railing.  
  
Sanji felt weird. After Zoro's reply, he felt oddly light. It was as if a big rock had been lifted off his chest. However, what he was feeling right now was far from relief. He couldn't name it. But he knew that what Zoro had said left him hollow inside. They were nakama. Zoro was right. But he couldn't bring himself to be happy. Not even in the slightest. He felt strangely... empty. And he was starting to feel the dull ache that was creeping inside his chest which resonated more and more in each passing second.  
  
-TBC


	5. Dilemma

**Chapter 5: Dilemma**

 

"What seems to be the problem Sanji?" The little doctor asked as he wriggle out of his unicorn float ring. Chopper took a towel from the nearby pool bench and dried his fluffy hair. Sanji walked towards him, hands in his pockets and cigarette dangling from his lips. From the corner of his left eye, he saw the marimo walk out of the galley. He stood at the doorway for a second, perhaps eyeing his encounter with Chopper, before climbing up the crow's nest. Was the bastard not going to swim? Whatever, it’s not like he cared.  
  
"I think I'm feeling a bit off lately," the cook confessed. At that, the doctor looked up at him with big worried eyes.  
  
“Why what’s wrong, Sanji? Does something hurt?"  
  
"Not exactly." Sanji shifted on his feet and took a drag of his cigarette. He blew the smoke above his head, the smoke swirling like soft hooks. "But sometimes I feel dizzy, then… I throw up."  
  
Chopper's eyes widened. He was literally gaping at Sanji with a shocked expression. "Sanji! You need to come to the clinic now!" The doctor jumped and pulled Sanji's right hand, dragging the cook with him and making him stumble a little.  
  
"Oi, Chopper, relax. It's not that bad." The cook had a hard time walking with his body bent downwards to accommodate Chopper's ridiculously cute size. He was worried for a moment that the others might hear their conversation, but he was quite sure that the other members were busy swimming beside the ship and the distance was somehow far enough to render any sound coming from the two of them inaudible.  
  
"No, Sanji! I need to do a checkup on you!" the doctor exclaimed as they made their way towards the clinic. Sanji sighed. This was the reason why he sometimes hid his injuries from Chopper. The doctor tended to make a big deal out of a single scratch. Not that he could blame Chopper. He was the same actually. If Chopper was responsible for the crew's health, then as the ship's cook, he had the responsibility of making sure that the crew was well-fed. Each member had his or her own responsibilities. They worked like a clock, with each member being a metal gear.  
  
When they were safely inside the confines of the clinic, and thankfully out of earshot, Sanji settled himself down on the examination chair beside Chopper's desk. Different kinds of herbs, sprouts, flowers, roots, leaves and mushrooms were carefully assorted inside labelled jars. Thick medical books lined up Chopper's wooden shelf at the far corner of the room. His gaze looked down at the mortar and pestle on Chopper's desk. There was a brown powder inside, maybe one of Chopper's newly researched medicine.  
  
Sanji suddenly remembered that Chopper didn't appreciate smoking inside his clinic. He immediately stepped on his cigarette to kill the embers, then threw the remain on a nearby trash can.  
  
"So…" His attention snapped towards Chopper. The little doctor was dressed in his white lab coat with his stethoscope hanging around his neck. He sat on his chair and took his pen and paper. "Tell me what the problem is, Sanji."  
  
"Uh…" Sanji scratched his neck thoughtfully. "Like I said, I get dizzy and nauseous sometimes."  
  
Chopper wrote something on the paper. "Since when?"  
  
Sanji debated if he should tell Chopper the truth. The doctor might get mad at him if he said that it was about a month ago. However, if he was already here in front of their ship's doctor and having a physical examination out of his own fucking will, then he might as well drop the bomb. "About a month ago."  
  
Chopper's eyes widened. "What? A month ago? And you didn't tell me? Why, Sanji?" Tears started collecting in Chopper's eyes and Sanji almost kicked himself for making the doctor feel miserable.  
  
"I'm sorry, Chopper. I just… I thought the headache was going to go away after some time," Sanji coaxed.  
  
"Even so! You should have told me! I'm the doctor of this ship and I'm responsible for everyone's health." Chopper rubbed his eyes, sniffing gently at the back of his hooves.  
  
Sanji dragged his chair closer to pat the doctor's fluffy head. "I know. I know. I'm sorry. I promise I'll consult you at once next time."  
  
Chopper looked at him with big, tearful eyes. "Really?"  
  
Sanji smiled. "Yeah. Now let's get done with this shitty checkup, okay?"  
  
Chopper nodded and wiped his tears away. "Okay," he said as he handed his pen again. "So you said that you feel dizzy and nauseous?"  
  
Sanji nodded. "Especially in the morning. I'm getting this shitty nausea quite generously. I almost threw up at the marimo a while ago."  
  
Chopper wrote on his paper. After a while, he took Sanji's blood pressure and listened to his heart and lungs with his stethoscope. "Okay. I'm going to have to take blood and urine samples from you, Sanji."  
  
"Okay," the cook agreed.  
  
After the specimen collection, Chopper sat down on his chair again, this time in front of glasswares and test tubes with chemicals that Sanji wouldn't want to know the names of. "You can leave now, Sanji. The tests will take around two hours. You can come by later for the results."  
  
Sanji nodded. "I understand. Thanks, Chopper. I'll drop by later with some cotton candy."  
  
"Really?! That won't make me happy, idiot!" the doctor exclaimed ironically while doing his weird wiggly dance.

* * *

 

Sanji made delicious mango tarts for everyone. He called the crew on the lawn for the afternoon snack. Even the marimo had come down from his den when he said that he would be giving away a barrel of sake—one of the rare moments when Sanji was being extraordinarily generous.  
  
"Nami-swan! Robin-chwan!" Sanji twirled while balancing a round tray holding two tall champagne glasses filled with lemon juice. He knelt on one knee and offered the ladies their drinks. "I made them with all of my heart! Please indulge yourself with my heartwarming love!"  
  
"Thank you, Sanji-kun," Nami smiled, taking a glass.  
  
"Thank you, Cook-san." Robin took the other with a smile. Sanji's eyes became pink hearts, his tray clutched tightly on his chest as he noodle-danced in front of the ladies.  
  
"Idiot."  
  
A vein popped out of Sanji's forehead. He spun around to face the stupid bastard who was busy indulging in his sake. "Ah? You got something to say, ma-ri-mo?"  
  
Zoro drank straight from the barrel which made Sanji's eye twitch in annoyance. Fucking mannerless brute. Sanji took a couple of steps forward and kicked the barrel up while Zoro was drinking. The swordsman fell backwards with a thud, spilling sake all over him and wetting his robe. Sanji smirked with satisfaction as the swordsman coughed his lungs out!  
  
"What-the fuck-shitty cook!" Zoro growled between breaths. The swordsman wiped down the sake on his face with his left hand.  
  
Sanji pointed his right foot to him with a menacing grin. "It's because you're annoying me, shithead." A fight erupted between the two men. Kicks and clank of metals could be heard on the ship.  
  
Nami sighed. "They're so energetic."  
  
"I think they're getting along well more than ever," Usopp said with mouth full of mango tart.  
  
"Do they?" Robin muttered and drank her lemon juice. After a while, Chopper came running outside his clinic. Robin eyed the little doctor. "Oh, Chopper. Do you want some mango tart?"  
  
Chopper shook his head and scanned the lawn. "Where's Sanji?"  
  
Robin's eyebrow raised a fraction. "Is something wrong?"  
  
The little doctor scratched his head with his hooves. "I just need to check something. Where is he?"  
  
"Maybe at the back of the ship. He's sparring with swordsman-san," Robin answered smiling. Chopper thanked her and sprinted immediately to where Sanji was, unaware of the suspicious look that the archeologist sent his way.

* * *

 

"What? Are you tired, shitty cook?" Zoro grinned while holding Shisui on his right hand and Sandai Kitetsu on his left.  
  
"Fuck you, third-rate swordsman," Sanji spat. He was gasping a few deep breaths while the swordsman was standing there with a mocking grin on his face. The bastard's robe was soaked with sake. And Sanji did not just look at the muscles rippling under that wet fabric.  
  
"You're fucking sick, Cook. Have you been to Chopper?" Zoro asked.  
  
"Shut up! I'm not sick!" Sanji glared at the swordsman who rolled his eyes at him. How he wished he could strangle the brute to death right now.  
  
"You're fighting especially shitty today. You can't even kill my boredom."  
  
Sanji felt anger welling up inside him. How dare this stupid bastard mock him? Their earlier encounter in the galley put him in a nasty mood already and yet the bastard seemed to plan to annoy him at hell's gate today. He shouldn't be annoyed at the marimo for his honest answer. Yet the impact of the words left him with a huge void in his chest. Like he was hoping for something but got rejected in an indirect way. But what was he hoping for? Did he like Zoro? He was attracted, YES. But like? He honestly didn't know anymore.  
  
"SANJI!"  
  
The cook almost stumbled when someone gripped his leg. He looked down at Chopper who was embracing his leg with both arms and legs. The doctor looked at him with big apprehensive eyes. "Stop fighting," he said.  
  
"What?" Sanji asked in confusion. The swordsman lowered his katanas and eyed the two seriously.  
  
Chopper let Sanji go and stared up at him. "I need to talk to you in my clinic."  
  
A slight chill went up Sanji's spine. Why was Chopper asking him to come to his office? Did something go wrong with his test? Did he have an incurable disease? Was he going to die?  
  
"What's wrong, Chopper?" Sanji and Chopper looked at the man who asked the question. Zoro was standing firmly on the wooden floor, his katanas sheathed and carefully tucked on his right hip. He was eyeing the doctor with rapt attention, like he wasn't going to let a single detail slip out of his vision.  
  
Chopper shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to ask Sanji something."  
  
The swordsman seemed to weigh Chopper's answer for he didn't move nor talk after the declaration. However, the doctor didn't mind him as he instantly bid Sanji to come to his clinic. Sanji looked at Zoro. "Bring the barrel to Franky. He can use it for his stock of cola." The swordsman just grunted in agreement before Sanji finally trailed Chopper to his clinic.

* * *

"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" Sanji sat on the patient chair once more. Chopper looked weirdly uncomfortable as he scratched his head with his tiny hooves.  
  
"Can I retest you, Sanji? I think something's wrong with my chemicals. I just needed to check." So Chopper was uncomfortable because he might have made a mistake? Well, Sanji understood that. Everyone made mistakes. Even a professional chef like him sometimes accidentally chopped potatoes unevenly.  
  
Sanji smiled at Chopper. "Of course. Anything you need."  
  
The doctor smiled open-mouthed and Sanji could swear that he saw stars in his eyes. "Thank you, Sanji! Let me get your blood first."  
  
The blond was used to pain. Hell, growing up with Zeff's painful kicks made him fucking resistant to pain. Still, he still didn't like syringes boring holes in his body. He could never tell Chopper that, not when the doctor was so focused and dedicated to his work. After all of the specimen collection process, Sanji told Chopper that he would just go to the galley for a moment. When he came back to the clinic, Chopper's eyes widened at the big cotton candy that Sanji was holding. The doctor happily ate it as Sanji sat down on the bed intended for Chopper's patients.  
  
After taking his snack, the doctor went back to his work. Sanji asked Chopper if he could take a nap here since he was feeling a bit dizzy and for Chopper to easily go to him if ever he needed anything from him for his tests. The doctor nodded to this and diverted his attention back to the swirling mixture of blue and purple in his flask.

* * *

Sanji woke up with a gentle tug of his right arm. He turned his head to the side and was rewarded with a concerned looking Chopper. He sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing the soreness of his shoulder from sleeping. "What's up?" he asked.  
  
Chopper looked lost. He was staring at Sanji with that concerned look in his eyes one moment then to his little feet in the next. His eyes were darting back and forth to the cook and to his feet. "Um, can I ask you something?"  
  
Sanji looked at the doctor. "Sure."  
  
"Have you…" The doctor trailed off and a pink flush was beginning to form on his cheeks.  
  
"Have I what?" the blond asked curiously.  
  
The doctor looked at him shyly. "Have you had sex with a man?"  
  
All the colors on the cook's face seemed to go down the drain. His heart drummed inside his chest and he could feel sweat oozing on his neck and palms. "W-Wha… Wha…" Sanji couldn't manage to form a coherent response to that. How the hell did Chopper find out? Was he in trouble? What was going on?  
  
"I know. I know. I'm sorry. It's just…" The doctor fidgeted on his hooves. "Your test results are so weird. I repeated them for five times and yet they were all pointing to the same diagnosis."  
  
"What is it?" the blond asked and he could actually hear his heart pounding in his ears.  
  
"You said you had frequent nausea. Especially in the morning. And I think you're experiencing tremendous mood swings and getting tired easily now, right?"  
  
The blond nodded slowly. How did he know?  
  
"Do you also get vomitous around food or certain smells sometimes?"  
  
Sanji recalled the time when he was eating the burnt chicken leg a month ago. It was actually weird that the acrid smell of burning meat made his stomach twitch. He had smelled and eaten burnt food before, but it wasn't like him to actually feel vomitous around it.  
  
"Y-Yeah. But… I don't know. I almost vomited when I smelled and tasted burnt food," Sanji confessed.  
  
Chopper nodded in understanding. Sanji noticed that Chopper's gaze landed lower on his body. He trailed it and found his shirt untucked from his pants. "I had a look while you were sleeping. I hope you didn't mind," Chopper said apologetically. Sanji suddenly felt conscious, letting his fingers tangle protectively at the edge of his shirt. "You have… a strange bump."  
  
Sanji swallowed, feeling embarrassed because Chopper had to see his body out of shape. "Well, yeah. I've been lacking some training for a while so—"  
  
"It's not because of the lack of training!" Chopper interrupted. Chopper went between his knees, jumping on his lap and fisting on his shirt so suddenly. "Don't ever train until I say so!"  
  
"Huh? Why? Chopper, tell me what's wrong! Am I going to die?" the blond asked in confusion.  
  
Chopper eyed him seriously. For a moment, the doctor's eyes were filled with indignation then Sanji saw how Chopper's expression shifted to something that was completely hesitant and worried. One second, there was silence. Then another moment passed and all Sanji could hear was the painful echo of Chopper's voice in his head as the doctor said, "Sanji… you're pregnant."  
  
-TBC


	6. Shitty Situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Major spoilers about Sanji's past.

**Chapter 6: Shitty Situation**

 

Sanji stared blankly at Chopper. The doctor's hooves remained clutched at his shirt which wrinkled it in a way that Sanji would probably bitch about if it weren't for the completely absurd statement that their ship's doctor had said. The cook let out a defeated sigh. "Chopper, maybe you're working too hard. Are you exhausted? Do you want to continue your tests next time? I can go here again if you want and—"  
  
"But it's true!" Chopper interrupted him. The doctor's face pulled down into a frown. "I repeated your tests for _five_ times! I even got new and fresh chemicals just to make sure that there was no false reaction. It can't be wrong!"  
  
Sanji's next sentence died down in his throat. He glanced at the doctor's working table where several used glasswares, jar powders and thick medical books were left opened and unkempt. There were five test tubes standing side by side in a test tube rack, all of them had the same suspiciously pink liquid inside them. Were those his results? No. No no no no. It couldn't be. It most definitely and insanely couldn't be.  
  
Sanji pulled Chopper's hooves gently away from his shirt. "But Chopper. I'm a _guy_. I can't be pregnant like you claimed. It's insane."  
  
"I know! It's common knowledge. But..." Chopper eyed him sadly. "We've been through a lot of insane things, right?"  
  
Sanji gaped at that. The cook's beliefs and rationality turned upside down when he entered the Grand Line. Seriously, who would have thought that there were islands in the sky or underwater? Who would have thought that there was a talking reindeer, singing skeleton, walking cyborg or a rubber man who could eat until he was on the brink of explosion?  
  
Chopper jumped out of his lap and made his way to the desk. He leapt on the chair to snatch away a medical book from the table. He walked in front of Sanji and settled down on the floor beside his feet. "I stumbled across this book from Doctorine's shelf in Drum Island," Chopper explained as he flipped through the pages. He stopped at a certain page and Sanji winced as he read the title _'Mutations in Human Anatomy and Physiology_.' "You see, there are certain genetic alterations that can happen in a human body. And in your case, I can deduce that there has been... a mutation in your hormones and reproductive system. If you can bear a child, then it must mean that you have a uterus that's been recessive until now." Chopper pointed at the anatomic model of a human that had an unborn baby inside the womb but the weird thing about it was that the model had a _fucking dick_!  
  
"When I saw this book, I thought that Doctorine was being foolish. Men can't have babies. Their bodies just weren't naturally made for that. And then you came. It's my first time to encounter a case like this." The doctor looked at him with decisive eyes. "You see, Sanji? It's not completely impossible."  
  
The cook swallowed thickly. His hands were shaking at his sides. Fuck. He could use a cigarette or two, or perhaps a whole pack until he could burn his lungs down. Maybe he could drink all of his wine and just be wasted enough to wake up with a shitty hangover tomorrow and laugh at this incredible joke about him being pregnant.  
  
"How is that even possible?" Sanji snorted. He rubbed the nerve above his left curly eyebrow. Shit. He was starting to have a fucking headache.  
  
Chopper flipped across two pages and stood up to show the article to Sanji. "There's a drug that can cause this strange phenomenon. As you can see," the doctor pointed at a certain herb with wide purple leaves, "this herb is called amagenon. It was used in certain drugs to help ease pain, anxiety or manic depression. It's a psychological wonder drug. But it was pulled out from the market due to its strange side effects. The herb plantation itself was shut down by the World Government and publications about this drug had been stopped, even in medical history books. This herb has been banned in the world for 80 years now."  
  
Sanji looked at the doctor confusedly. "What does it have to do with me? I didn't take any shitty drug like that. I couldn't even remember the last time I had a fever."  
  
Chopper put the book down and thought for a moment. "Well in that case... Have your mother taken any drug while she was in maternity?"  
  
The cook opened his mouth to say ' _fucking no_ ' but the words immediately died down in his throat. He paused for a second when a certain memory came up in his mind.  
  
_"Hey, Sanji, listen." The pink-haired girl put an adhesive bandage on the cut on his cheek . "I'm not on your side, okay? But I need to laugh with them so that I don't get bullied, understand?"  
  
"Ouch!" Sanji rubbed the bandage lightly. "Those guys are so terrible. They're not my brothers!" Tears started to well in his eyes but he immediately wiped them dry. 'Men do not cry!' his childish mind thought.  
  
The girl sighed. "Then I'm not your sister. I'm just as hideous as them." She looked across the hallway and stayed silent for a moment to listen to any guards nearby. When she thought that the coast was clear, she tucked her head low and whispered to Sanji. "You know, Sanji. Have you wondered why our brothers are like that?" Sanji shook his head. "When Mother was pregnant with the four of you, she took a drug to prevent our Father from tampering with the emotions of her child. Our Father planned to make you, Ichiji, Niji and Yonji as killing machines with no emotion for the Germa Kingdom."  
  
Sanji's eyes widened at that. He was starting to tremble as he feared his Father more. "The drug didn't work with our three brothers as you can see. But it certainly did on you."  
  
"It worked on me?" Sanji asked and the girl nodded. Sanji gently put his hand on the cold metal around his head. Was that perhaps the reason why he was born weak and why he was in this dreadful place? No. Sanji would never blame her mother. She loved her children that was why she did such a thing. This iron mask around his head proved that Vinsmoke Judge was indeed a cruel king. He locked his own son in a cell, made him wear a disgraceful iron mask and proclaimed to the kingdom about his faux death. He had been told by everyone that he was weak, a disgrace to the royal family of Vinsmoke.  
  
"I miss Mother, Reiju," Sanji blurted out thoughtlessly. He started to feel that longing again for his mother. He missed her so badly. She was the only one who had accepted and had been kind to him in this place.  
  
Reiju smiled at him. "You have a kind heart than anyone else, Sanji. That's why our mother loves you so much."  
_  
Sanji bit his lower lip. His hands unconsciously covered his face in frustration. "Fuck," he cursed in realization.  
  
"Sanji?"  
  
The cook lowered his hand and looked down at Chopper who was staring at him with a confused expression. He scratched the back of his head. "Well, uh, I think she did. I mean, my mother must have taken some kind of drug when she was pregnant with me."  
  
Chopper looked at him wide-eyed. "Why, Sanji? And how did she manage to have that drug when it was banned in the world?"  
  
It wasn't impossible. With Germa 66's power and influence in the underworld together with its advanced technology, it wouldn't be hard for her mother to get her hands on a prohibited drug like that. However, he was not about to tell Chopper about his family. He didn't need to know about his shitty past. "It's... a bit of a long story," he said to dodge any further questions from the doctor about his family. "Can you reverse the effects of the drug?"  
  
Chopper thought for a second. "I can try, but it's dangerous, Sanji. If you reverse its effects now in your gestation period, it will probably kill the baby in your womb."  
  
Sanji paled. His right hand mindlessly went to his abdomen protectively. He could feel the slight bump under his palm, protruding on the waistline of his pants. He still wasn't fully convinced about Chopper's proposition, but the mere idea of him killing an innocent unborn child made him _sick_.  
  
Chopper saw the dread in his eyes which made the doctor nod in understanding. "So, um... so you did have sex with a man, right?" Chopper asked shyly.  
  
Sanji's cheeks flushed. He looked away embarrassingly. How was he supposed to answer an awkward question like that? Especially coming from their innocent ship doctor?  
  
"S-Something like that," he answered quietly. Chopper's cheeks reddened at the confirmation. He rubbed his blue nose awkwardly.  
  
"You are around two months pregnant according to the test results," Chopper stated. "Is the other man from Firework Island?" Sanji cringed at the question. Of course, they had anchored in a few islands since then but the next island after 'that' night was three weeks later. If Chopper said that he was two months pregnant, then the most logical option would be way back in Firework Island.  
  
Sanji shook his head. "No. It's not like that."  
  
Chopper's eyes widened. "Then is it someone... from the crew?"  
  
Fuck.  
  
Sanji instantly paled at that. Chopper was being annoyingly sharp. And the least he could have now was an inquisitive clever doctor. He wouldn't talk to him about his love affairs. Robin knowing of his secret was fair enough.  
  
"I don't really want to talk about it, Chopper."  
  
The doctor looked disappointed, but if ever he felt something more than that, he pushed it away with a nod of his head. "I understand. Sorry, Sanji."  
  
The cook shook his head, tapping the little doctor's head. "Don't be. Thank you by the way." Sanji wore his shoes and stood up. He really needed a cigarette right now. "I'll be going now, Chopper."  
  
The cook pulled out a cigarette from his pants' pocket as he walked towards the door. A pull on his pant leg stopped him from his track. Sanji looked down and found the little doctor clinging his hooves on the black fabric. "Yes?" he asked.  
  
Chopper looked at him worriedly. "Please don't smoke... And don't train or exert yourself physically. You can cook, but not too much that it will cause physical exhaustion on your body. It will... hurt the baby."  
  
Sanji gaped at him in horror. He couldn't smoke? He couldn't even fight or cook his heart away? Then what the hell was he supposed to do?  
  
"Isn't it too much?" Sanji said.  
  
"If you ask me, you should be resting until your delivery." Chopper released his leg after a while. He could see the conflicted look on the cook's face, making the doctor sigh. "It may be a lot to take in, but... visit me twice a week, okay? I need to check on you regularly. If ever you still doubt me, I don't blame you, but... it wouldn't hurt to be cautious, right? I just want the best for you and your baby."  
  
Sanji didn't know what to say to that. He still couldn't get around with Chopper saying that he had an unborn baby inside his body. It still felt and sounded weird in every sense. But if there was anything he should believe in, it was Chopper's genuine kindness.  
  
The cigarette in his hand went carefully tucked inside his pocket once again. He smiled gently at the doctor. "I understand. But can you promise me one thing?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Sanji crouched down and playfully tugged Chopper's hat. "Don't say anything to the crew. I need some time to think about it."  
  
Chopper arranged his hat with a bright smile on his face. "Of course! It's patient confidentiality!'  
  
Sanji laughed silently, stood up and walked out of the clinic. He was fidgeting on his cigarette pack and lighter inside his pocket. Would he really say goodbye to his cancer sticks for a few months? Just thinking about it made him want to bitch about it everyday. He would go into a fucking _withdrawal_ , for fuck's sake!  
  
Sanji noticed that the hem of his shirt was not yet tucked properly. He felt something strange that instead of fussing on his appearance, his hand curiously trailed under the soft fabric and landed on his stupid tiny bump. He wasn't actually bound to comply to Chopper's restrictions. But whenever he relieved this moment, this mysterious sensation he felt as his palm touched the slight bump on his abdomen made the situation more awfully real. He was afraid. If Chopper was right, then what was he supposed to do? He couldn't possibly blurt it out to the crew especially to that idiotic stupid marimo. They would ask who the other man was. Sanji wasn't sure of it himself, but the only time that he ever had sex with someone was that night, and with that shitty marimo of all people! What would the crew think about it? What would Zoro say if he told him that he was probably the father? Would he even believe him? Would he... shut him out?  
  
Sanji felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. He didn't know what to do if the man shut him out. He didn't care about the marimo before. Heck, he even survived two years without him and he was completely fine! But when he saw the other man again in Sabaody, standing on a wrecked ship that he practically cut in half, drenching wet because of his shitty sense of direction, he remembered the heat that pooled inside his chest. That strange warmth that ended up doing knots in his stomach.  
  
Was he actually attracted to the marimo ever since? The feeling was like finding his favorite childhood knife again that he really loved after being lost for such a long time. That was what he felt at that moment. It was a manner of fleeting seconds, but it was as if he rekindled something precious. Something so dear that got lost but was finally found again.  
  
"Oi."  
  
Sanji almost jumped on his feet at the low baritone. The marimo was sitting cross-legged on the lawn, leaning on the tree with his hands tucked behind his head and his three swords placed snugly on his thighs. Great. Just great! The last person he wanted to see right now. His cheeks flushed at the man's sight but he immediately drowned it with a cough. Sanji didn't notice that he was walking aimlessly until now. He was so drowned in his own thoughts that he didn't notice that he ended up going to the lawn. He was supposed to go to the galley. Shit.  
  
"You got a stomach ache?" the pea brained bastard asked with a smirk. His hand went out of his shirt on instinct.  
  
Sanji rolled his eyes. "Shut up, shitty marimo. Just sleep or die or something. Stop bothering me."  
  
The swordsman frowned at the insult. "So what did Chopper say?"  
  
Sanji's fingers jerked a little at his side. And it went noticeable for the marimo because Zoro's eyes darted on his fingers for a second. He couldn't let Zoro know. So Sanji tilted his head and sneered at the swordsman. "Eh? What's this? Are you actually _worried_ about me, Marimo-kun?"  
  
The swordsman grunted in response. "Who will worry about you, Curly-brow?"  
  
Sanji smirked at him then tucked his hands carefully inside his pockets. The bastard in front of him had an instinct of a beast. He wouldn't want the marimo to pry on him any further. "Chopper said it's about gastric motility shit. Indigestion and stuff. So yeah, a shitty stomachache," Sanji lied.  
  
This time, the swordsman was the one to sneer at him. "It's because of your crappy cooking, shitty cook."  
  
"Ah?" Sanji said angrily. "Want me to kick your head in it goes out of your butt, marimo?"  
  
"Tch." The swordsman turned his head away. "You're no fun to fight with if you're sick. Just fuck off and tend your delicate ugly self, princess."  
  
A vein popped out of Sanji's head and he could really wring the bastard's neck now until he felt satisfied and heavenly. "Ha! Excuses," Sanji pointed his foot dangerously at the man with a leering smile. "Just admit it that you can't beat me, marimo."  
  
"Ah?!" The swordsman jumped on his feet and glared at Sanji. "I could beat you with my eyes closed, shitty cook!"  
  
"Is that so?" Sanji put his foot down and pressed his forehead on the swordsman's. "Then I can beat you while I'm sleeping, idiot marimo!"  
  
"Ah?!" The marimo pressed against his forehead harder. "Then I can beat you even if I'm dead, Dartboard Brow!"  
  
"Huh?! I'm gonna kick your shitty ass, shithead!" the blond growled angrily.  
  
"Bring it on, shitty cook!" Zoro answered with a glare.  
  
"Cook-san."  
  
The two bickering men stopped when they heard Robin talk above them. She was outside the galley, leaning with her arms on the railing. She flashed a beautiful smile at Sanji. "I would like some coffee, please?"  
  
Sanji instantly pulled away from the swordsman that the idiot landed face down on the lawn. "Right away, Robin-chwaaaan!" Sanji said with heart eyes and hands clasping together beside his face. If his precious angel needed him then he would certainly be there to help! He heard the marimo utter the word 'bastard' under his breath as he rubbed his nose from the fall. Ha! Stupid idiot.  
  
Sanji was making his way up the stairs, towards the galley to make his beautiful Robin-chan the best coffee that she'd ever tasted, when they all heard Usopp scream from the deck.  
  
"Land ho!"  
  
-TBC


	7. Turmoil

**Chapter 7: Turmoil**

 

"So what's the name of this island?"  
  
After two and a half hours, the Thousand Sunny was able to anchor safely at the far-end side of the island. Nami looked at her map with everyone arranged in a circle around her. "It's called _Bartero_ ," Nami announced.  
  
"Bartero? That's weird name." Luffy tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Is there meat here?"  
  
Usopp waved his hand to Luffy with a sigh. "Is meat all you can think about?"  
  
"Bartero. An open island of the New World." Everyone's eyes landed on Robin who was smiling as she further explained the island's history. "It is an island of trade where anyone can buy and sell their goods freely."  
  
"Open island? You mean...?" Franky asked and was rewarded with a nod from the archeologist.  
  
"That's right," Robin confirmed. "This island is open to all kinds of races in the world. However, in the recent years, this place has been plagued by pirates, bandits and marines. It is a place of trade for the underworld after all, so the marines frequently visit this place to capture pirates."  
  
Usopp and Chopper wailed in fear and hugged each other tightly. "I'm getting this _Don't-go-to-this-island Disease_ ," Usopp exclaimed with tearful eyes.  
  
"I'm scared!" Chopper cried.  
  
"Yohohohoho! My heart is beating so fast." Brook held his chest with both hands. "Ah! Except that I don't have a heart! Yohohohoho!"  
  
"I'm eating meat! Shi-shi-shi-shi!" Luffy laughed as he jumped in air, clapping with his hands.  
  
"Heh. I'd like to have some sake while I roam around." Zoro smirked as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  
  
"My, my, my," Sanji closed his eyes and shook his head hopelessly. "Here goes the stray moss marinating himself with sake again."  
  
"What?! Do you want me to cut you, Curlybrow?!" the swordsman shouted angrily with his arms crossed above his chest.  
  
"I want to see you try, Stray Marimo!" The cook banged his forehead with Zoro as both of them pushed against each other in annoyance.  
  
The navigator sighed in defeat. "Come on now, guys. We won't be here for long. According to my record, the log pose will set in three days." Nami rolled her map then tucked it nicely in the waistline of her pants. Her hand went inside the back pocket of her pants, later on pulling out the sticks that they always used in deciding who would pair up with whom. "Okay. Now guys, pull out a stick." The crew stepped closer and stretched their arms to pull out a stick, but…  
  
"Um, Nami? Can I pair up with Sanji?" Everyone stopped and looked curiously at their ship's doctor who was fidgeting on his hooves. "You see, I'm making this new medicine out of fish scales, and I was hoping that Sanji could help me decide which ones are not poisonous."  
  
Sanji stared at Chopper with doubtful eyes. Was the doctor perhaps worried about him? Did he make up a lie so that he could always be near him in case something happened? Sanji's pride crumpled a little because of that. He couldn't blame the little doctor, but wasn't it too much already? He was still a _man_ , damn it!  
  
"I see. So, Chopper will pair up Sanji." Nami retracted her hand which was holding the sticks. "If it's like that, then let's just decide on our own, right?" Everyone seemed to approve of that except for the cook who just remained suspiciously silent. "Then, I will pair up with Luffy!" She hooked her arm sharply around the captain's neck, making the boy stumble forward. "That way, I can beat you up if ever you cause us any trouble!"  
  
"Eh?! No way! Everyone, help me!" Luffy cried as he extended an arm helplessly to his crew who just nodded in perfect approval at Nami's suggestion. The remaining crew teamed up: Brook pairing up with Robin, Usopp with Franky and Zoro going alone. Nami seemed to be defiant about the swordsman wandering on the island on his own because the man was also sometimes a troublemaker if he was not busy getting foolishly lost.  
  
"I don't get lost!" the swordsman exclaimed with an angry huff. The navigator just sighed and let the man do whatever he wanted provided that he stayed out of trouble.  
  
"It was already getting dark, we better get going," Nami said as she handed the crew their allowance. "Zoro will be the first watch tonight, so make sure you don't get your ass lost and go straight to the Sunny after you buy your stupid sake, is that clear?"  
  
"Tch." The swordsman turned his back to Nami after taking his fair share of berries. "Ugly witch."  
  
"Don't talk to Nami-san like that, Marimohead!" Sanji snapped at Zoro who just ignored him and jumped down from the ship.  
  
"Yosh, everyone! You can go back to the Sunny tonight or just rent a room in town. We'll meet here after three days, got it?" Nami said.  
  
"Okay!" the crew exclaimed together excitedly as they all disembarked from the ship and went towards their separate ways.

* * *

 

The town looked ordinary. Just like your typical shopping places with stalls and commercial centers. However, the striking feature of this island was that every infrastructure was mostly made up of stone. Remembering what Robin had said earlier, Sanji and Chopper decided to buy gray cloaks so that they could hide themselves if ever there were marines nearby. Sanji hid his head under the hood as Chopper did the same.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sanji. I was just worried," Chopper said apologetically.  
  
"It's okay. I understand. Just… don't make a fuss about it any longer than necessary, okay?" the blond said as Chopper nodded his head. The two walked around the market with heads hanging low. Even under the night sky, this part of the town was still lively with shoppers going around and buying their stuff.  
  
"We better look for a room where we can stay for the night," Sanji said as he scanned the area for some marines. When his companion didn't answer, he stopped in his tracks and looked back at Chopper. The little doctor was standing in front of an old shop a few steps away, his eyes fixated on the worn out signboard reading _'Mr. Ranport's Medical Supplies.'_  
  
Sanji walked towards him, hands crawling in his pants' pockets for a cigarette but immediately froze as he remembered Chopper's shitty request. The cook sighed frustratedly. He hadn't had a cigarette for a few hours now and it was already killing him. Could he really manage to abstain from this pleasurable vice? Why was he even complying in the first place? A part of him didn't want to believe Chopper, but the other part was telling him to stop being a stubborn jackass and to carefully think about the evidences. But Sanji refused to. It was all just so fucking _insane_.  
  
"Can we go in?" Chopper asked hopefully to him.  
  
"Of course," Sanji smiled. The doctor thanked him and happily made his way inside the shop. Sanji followed behind him protectively. The doctor was already talking to an old man and they seemed lost in their own conversation. Sanji looked around the shop, eyeing some strange medical devices that he had seen for the first time in his entire life. He was planning to stay on guard, just letting Chopper buy his stuff and going out of the shop as soon as possible, but his plan failed when the little doctor walked towards him with optimistic eyes.  
  
"Sanji! Ranport-san can help us! You're not alone!" Chopper exclaimed happily.  
  
"Huh? What do you mean, Chopper?" Sanji asked in confusion as his eyes darted between the doctor and the old man. Chopper immediately pulled at Sanji's cloak, guiding him towards a room that the old man was currently heading in. "What's this? Where are we going?"  
  
"I'm a retired doctor, young man," the old man stated. "This place used to be my clinic back in the old days, but when my wife died, I decided to close it down and turn this into one of those medical supplies shop." The old man opened a door at the far-end corner of the shop, revealing a small dark room. The old man lighted a lamp attached on the wall. The room was illuminated with dim orange glows, just enough for them to see where they were stepping on and unveiling a strange machine placed against the opposite wall.  
  
Chopper looked astonished but Sanji could only frown in confusion for he didn't know what the hell was going on. The old man wiped a table with rag, cleaning any dust that must have accumulated there over time. His two visitors gasped in shock as he flipped a switch which made the machine started running to life. A video snail transporter was placed at the foot of the table, projecting a strange rectangular screen on the wall. "Now, lay here on the table, young man," the old man beckoned at Sanji.  
  
"Wait, what? No. I won't lay there. Tell me what's going on, Chopper?" Sanji asked.  
  
Chopper looked at Sanji, excitement still visible in those big round eyes. "I've never seen one before until now, but I remember Doctorine saying about a machine that can examine and visualize a baby that's still developing inside the mother's womb."  
  
"It's called an ultrasound machine," the old man informed them. "It's really old though–one of the first few that was made by Dr. Vegapunk when the genius scientist was only a kid and got traded in this island. I used this on my wife when she was pregnant with our child."  
  
Sanji stared in horror at the two of them. "W-Wait, what? H-How…? Chopper, you told him?" Sanji asked with utter disbelief flashing across his face.  
  
"Y-Yes. I'm sorry, Sanji! But Ranport-san said that he could help us!" Chopper argued with a wave of his hooves.  
  
Sanji glared at the old man who was standing beside the table of that stupid machine. "How can you help us, shitty geezer?"  
  
The old man looked surprised at his insult, but after he regained himself from the shock, the old man laughed loudly. "You have quite a tongue there, young man!"  
  
"Shut up," Sanji huffed irritatedly. "Just to tell you, old man, I still don't trust you."  
  
The old man smiled at him as deep lines wrinkled around his eyes and mouth. "I understand. It's hard to trust people these days, isn't it? Well, you see. My wife had a recurrent mental depression, and it gotten worse when she was carrying our child. So I researched on how I could help my wife with her condition." A flash of emotion flickered in the old man's eyes. "I accidentally came across a book talking about this drug that could do wonders on people. Unfortunately, it was already banned in the world that time, so I decided to make a deal in the black market. I made her drink it, and she was able to deliver our child successfully. I was so happy back then. But the drug started to make her weak… until the effects finally backlashed and took her life."  
  
Chopper grabbed the sides of his hood, pulling it down on his face as Sanji heard occasional sniffing from the doctor. "Is it the drug with the herb amagenon?" Sanji asked.  
  
The old man nodded his head. "Our son survived, but just like everyone else who got congenitally affected by the drug's side effects, he was born with an altered reproductive system and was able to bear children."  
  
Sanji paled and swallowed at the statement. His palms started to damp with sweat as his heart was beating madly inside his chest. So he wasn't alone? There were other people who had the same shitty fate as him?  
  
"But as you can see," the old man continued, "men bearing children are not well-accepted and frowned upon by the society, especially by the World Government. Years ago, those affected men were either killed or captured by black market dealers, selling them to world nobles and celestial dragons as slaves, or even worse, as disgraceful whores and objects for pleasure."  
  
Sanji trembled with rage. His hands were tightly balled at his sides, his teeth sinking on his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. "Those. Fucking. Bastards," he snarled with a voice full of contempt. The blond could feel that oh-so-familiar itch pooling on his feet. _He was dreading to kick those bastards' asses._  
  
"I understand your rage, young man. My son fled from this island when he had his first child," the old man said and Sanji felt a tinge of sadness in the other's eyes. "A terrible incident happened and we got separated. I've never heard from him since then. And I would give up everything just to hear from him again."  
  
A moment of silence dawned in the small room for a few seconds, the dim glows casting funny shadows of them on the walls. When Sanji's nerves calmed down, the blond made his way towards the table, his footsteps tapping on the stone floor and echoing around the small room. The cook took off his cloak and dropped it on the floor. Without a word and with two pairs of eyes staring at him, he sat down at the edge of the table. "Well," he started as he loosened the top two buttons of his shirt, "are we doing this or what?"  
  
The old man smiled at him for a while before darting his eyes towards the little creature standing across the room. "Dr. Chopper, would you like to watch me do the ultrasound?" the old man offered with a friendly smile.  
  
Chopper's eyes grew larger with excitement. "Yes!" he remarked happily and bounced on his feet as he ran beside Mr. Ranport, or rather, Dr. Ranport.  
  
"You need to take your clothes off, young man," Dr. Ranport stated. Sanji hesitated for a moment but afterwards complied with a sigh. When the cook was half-naked, he laid on top of the table, feeling the worn out leather cover burying imprints on his skin. A light flush crept on his cheeks when he noticed the old man staring on his tiny bump.  
  
"What?" he said with feint irritation to hide his blush.  
  
The old man just chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing. Now let's begin."  
  
The two doctors talked about their jargon, sometimes instructing Chopper on what to do. The cook was starting to get bored, but when Dr. Ranport put this slimy thing on his abdomen, the cook almost buckled up with surprise. "What's that?" he asked.  
  
"It's gel," Dr. Ranport said while applying the thick slimy mixture on him. "It will help the machine to detect the baby inside your womb." After that, the cook settled back down in defeat. He debated to not argue anymore. The shitty geezer knew what he was doing, he said to himself, so he might as well play along.  
  
After some time, Dr. Ranport placed a conical device on his bump, smearing some of the cream and started moving around his abdomen. He looked at Chopper to his side, the doctor was eyeing the den den mushi at his feet, or maybe the rectangular projection on the wall. Dr. Ranport was doing the same, and after a few attempts of moving the shitty device around his bump, the two doctors both gasped in surprise.  
  
"Oh, look. There it is," the old man said with a smile.  
  
"What? What is it?" the cook asked and tried to bring his head up but was immediately stopped with a pair of hooves.  
  
"Don't, Sanji! If you move, we might lose the image!" Chopper warned him.  
  
"Huh? What image? What's going on?" The blond was starting to get frustratingly curious. What the hell were the two talking about? What shitty image?  
  
"Just wait and…" The doctor pressed something on the machine. "Okay. I'm wiping the gel off." The old man retrieved the device and started wiping the gel on his tummy. "You can sit up now."  
  
Sanji compiled and his eyes immediately found the strange image projection frozen on the opposite wall. "It was still very small and looked like a curved peanut, but there definitely is a form of life inside you, young man," the doctor stated with a smile.  
  
"It's real, Sanji! Your baby is real!" Chopper joyfully acclaimed as the little doctor bounced repeatedly from the floor.  
  
Sanji was frozen on the spot, his mouth gaping at the projection and eyes widened in shock. There it was. The painful evidence that Sanji was looking for. Unconsciously, his hand crawled on top of his tiny bump, feeling the leftover slime of the gel used on him a while ago. Fuck. Just fuck. So it was real. He had a shitty baby inside his shitty body. It was so fucking insane and yet the most powerful evidence was clearly projected in front of him. Shit. Shit shit shit shit! He didn't know what to feel. His emotions were all messed up inside of him.  
  
He was clearly terrified, that much he could say. He was completely new to this. Never in his entire shitty life had he known that he'd be fucking pregnant one day! Just what the hell was that? But in the deeper side of himself, he felt this strange warmth that was starting to engulf his heart. He was starting to well up with this warm emotion that he was continuously suppressing until now. He felt the back of his eyes burn and tears began to make his vision blurry. However, he immediately rubbed his eyes through the back of hand. Fuck, he was getting too emotional!  
  
"Sanji? Are you okay? Does something hurt?" Chopper asked worriedly.  
  
The blond shook his head and smiled gently at the little doctor. "No. I'm fine, Chopper. I'm just… overwhelmed, I think."  
  
"I understand you, young man. My son too didn't accept the fact so well at first. But when he saw his own child right in this very projection," the old man gestured at the screen, "he broke down in tears and started saying how scared and happy he was at the same time." The old man laughed at the memory, and it eased Sanji down. The cook had never felt so relieved in his life. He was worried, of course. But bringing closure to his confusion and doubt was somewhat gratifying, even if he would be stuck in a shitty situation for a few months now.  
  
"Thank you, old man." Sanji dangled his legs at the edge of the table. He wore his shirt and fiddled with the buttons. "We should get going now."  
  
"I'm glad I could help, young man," the old man replied politely.  
  
"Just call me _'Sanji_ ,'" the cook said as he stood up, snatching the gray cloak on the stone floor.  
  
Dr. Ranport smiled at him. "Then it's Sanji-kun." The cook nodded with a smile before beckoning Chopper to leave with him. "Be careful on your journey. It will get really tough soon."  
  
"I know. Thanks for the reminder, old man. I hope you see your son soon." Sanji waved at him briefly before walking out of the shop.  
  
"Goodbye, Ranport-san!" Chopper waved goodbye and immediately ran beside Sanji. "What are you planning to do now, Sanji?"  
  
The cook shrugged. "I'll think of something. Just don't tell the crew yet."  
  
"Eh? Why?" the little doctor asked in bewilderment.  
  
"I'm… not yet ready to tell them. Sorry." It was all Sanji could say, and it was all that Chopper needed to make the little doctor understand. The cook was glad that Chopper was there for him. He didn't know what to do if he was the only who knew of his shitty situation. He might blow up of frustration if he didn't have anyone he could tell his terrible secret with. So, no cigarettes huh? Well, shit.  
  
"Let's find a place and–" Sanji uttered but he was suddenly stopped by a loud yell to their left.  
  
"Shitty brat!" A flour vendor thrusted a kid forcefully, making the other sprawl on the ground with a loud thud. The commotion caused a few heads to turn their way. The vendor was fuming with rage as he pointed his stick on the kid. "I said I don't have a fucking flour for you! Now get out! You're ruining my business!"  
  
When the kid sat up painfully, the hood fell down from the kid's head, revealing thick ebony tresses. Sanji's eyebrow twitched. "Please, mister! I need a bag of flour for my–" the girl begged but was immediately cut by loud grunt from the man.  
  
"Shut up, you stinking brat!" The vendor raised his stick in the air and a few gasps could be heard from the shoppers. The girl raised her arms protectively on her head, anticipating the painful lash of wood on skin… but none came.  
  
"Oi."  
  
"Huh?" The vendor's hand trembled with force as the stick hit on something hard. "Who are you, bastard?"  
  
Sanji kicked the stick away which ended up in splinters across the stone wall behind them. He lowered his leg slowly. "What makes you think that you can hurt a little lady, huh," Sanji glared at man, "shitty bastard?"  
  
The vendor backed away slowly, his body trembling with fear. "T-The kid was asking for it! I have nothing to sell to this piece of shit!"  
  
A vein throbbed dangerously at Sanji's temple, and the next thing he knew was that the vendor was already flying towards his stall. He landed painfully loud against his goods, sending a few bags of flour to the ground. Some people around them ran away while some gasped in horror. "Don't talk like that to a lady," the cook declared in a dangerously low tone.  
  
"S-Sanji!" Chopper pulled on his pant leg. "Don't start a fight! We have to go now!"  
  
"Ah, shit. Sorry, Chopper." Sanji scratched a finger on his cheek apologetically. "I can't help it." Sanji walked towards the girl who was still sitting on the ground and staring at him wide-eyed. Sanji crouched in front of her, offering his hand. "Are you all right, little miss?"  
  
The girl nodded slowly. "Y-Yes. Thank you, mister." The girl took Sanji's hand and allowed herself to be guided on her feet.  
  
"Be careful on your way home," Sanji said with a gentle smile.  
  
The girl flashed him an innocent smile that almost melted his heart. She waved at him goodbye and ran away. When the girl vanished in the crowd, Sanji turned around to face the little doctor but was rewarded instead with five hooded people who were staring menacingly at him.  
  
"S-Sanji…" Chopper stepped back fearfully, hiding himself behind Sanji's legs.  
  
The cook glared daggers at the strangers. "Who the hell are you?" Sanji spat.  
  
"You're Black Leg Sanji, right?" the man at the middle said in a deep rumbling voice. The man was huge. Significantly taller than Sanji. No wonder why Chopper cowered behind him in fear.  
  
"Why the hell do you care, bastard?" Sanji challenged at him.  
  
The other men laughed. "A nasty mouth you got there," one of them said amusingly.  
  
"With mouth or not, we're having your head," the man at the middle spoke with an ominous grin on his face.  
  
Bounty hunters, Sanji thought. Sanji cocked his head to the side, shoving his hands in his pockets and tapping his right foot petulantly on the ground. "I don't have time for your shitty talks. Fuck off."  
  
The bounty hunters went silent at that. All of them flashed an angry scowl. The cook heard Chopper call his name, urging him to run away. But it was too late. The bounty hunters took their weapons out and darted towards the cook. Four swords. Not a problem. Sanji backflipped and planted his hands on the ground. "Party Table…" The four bounty hunters lunged with their weapons aimed dangerously at him. "Kick Course!" The swords clattered on the stony ground. The four men all laid helpless against the stone walls and stalls where they landed after the cook kicked them. A fire erupted in the market, making the people scream and run away from the commotion. Fuck, it was getting bad. He was attracting too much attention.  
  
"Chopper!" Sanji whipped his head to Chopper. "Let's go!" The doctor nodded as they both bolted away. However, the huge man was already standing in front of them.  
  
"Stone Smash!" The man brought his fist down with a loud crash. Sanji and Chopper jumped away from the attack. Broken pieces of stone flew from the loud impact. The man stood up and raised his right arm which resembled a sharpened knife made up of stone.  
  
"Captain Doromeo!" the other men exclaimed hopefully.  
  
"I ate the Stone Stone Fruit which made me a stone human." Doromeo smirked at the cook. "And I swear I will get the bounty on your head, Black Leg."  
  
"In your dreams, asshole," Sanji spat venomously. The cook was about to run towards the bastard but Chopper held his pant leg in a death grip.  
  
"Sanji! No fighting!" the doctor reminded him with stern determination in his eyes.  
  
"But, Chopper! Shit! I need to fight!" the blond exclaimed with a wave of his hand. The interaction of the two raised a few eyebrows around them.  
  
"I'll fight him." And before Sanji could protest, Chopper was already running towards Doromeo. "Kung Fu Point!" As the doctor's appearance shifted, he landed a strong kick on Doromeo's stony arm which made the brute stumble back a few steps.  
  
"Chopper!" Sanji shouted, but his attention was immediately snatched away by the four men who were running towards him. "Annoying bastards," he said and kicked the assholes away like flies.  
  
"Sanji!" The cook's head whipped at the direction of Chopper's voice. "I said no–" Doromeo punched the doctor in the gut, which was rewarded with a bloody choke from the little Strawhat. Chopper flew a few feet away and ended up inside a stone building with a huge crack.  
  
"Chopper!" Sanji wailed and tried to run towards his nakama but Doromeo aimed his knife arm towards him. The blond immediately put his leg up to block the attack.  
  
"Fight me, Black Leg. I don't need a fucking clown interrupting us," Doromeo growled with dark eyes.  
  
"Shit!" Sanji pushed his leg to the side, making the brute slide down a fraction, but it was enough for Sanji to kick the bastard in the stomach with his other leg. Doromeo whipped through the air like an arrow and crashed himself down on the ground. Sanji took this time to run to where Chopper was, but he only managed to take a few steps when Doromeo was already sprinting like a mad bull towards him. Shit! The man was surprisingly fast despite his bulky body.  
  
"Fuck!" Sanji's arms suddenly hovered over his stomach, shielding his bump protectively, as his left leg blocked the brute's stony arm. The brute attacked again, and again, and painfully again. Sanji couldn't do anything but to dodge with his hands defending his unborn child like this!  
  
Doromeo's stony knife arm clashed with Sanji's leg again. "What's the deal with your arms, Black Leg?" he snarled as both men struggled for dominance. "Fight me like a man, you coward!"  
  
Sanji grunted in annoyance and flashed him a deathly glare. "Shut up, you shitty asshole!"  
  
"Is this the notorious 'Black Leg' of the Strawhat Pirates? Don't make me laugh! You're just a piece of shit! Your captain must be crying right now!" Doromeo shouted mockingly.  
  
Sanji growled in defiance. "I'll kick your ass really hard, you fucking bastard!"  
  
"Sanji! No!"  
  
The blond's blue eyes darted to Chopper, who was holding firmly on his left shoulder. Was he hurt? Shit! They needed to get out of here! "Chopper!" he shouted.  
  
"Don't mock me, filthy pirate." And when Sanji's head turned to Doromeo, a sickening hard punch met his right cheek which blew him away across several stalls. "Don't you dare take your eyes off me."  
  
"Sanji!" Chopper cried tearfully.  
  
The cook laid on his side, his arms still clinging protectively around his abdomen. "S-Shit." Had he screwed up? Was his baby okay?  
  
The blond tried to sit up, but Doromeo was impossibly fast. In a flash, the brute was standing in front of him, his stony knife arm raised dangerously in the air. "I'll be having your head, Black Leg," Doromeo said with a sick grin. Sanji's eyes widened and everything around him seemed to slow down. The brute's arm pierced through the air, and Sanji tightened his arms around his bump. If he died, then his baby would definitely die too. But if the baby died and he survived, he didn't know if he could live with the guilt and regret. It was mortifying. So mortifying that Sanji's eyes never closed as he waited for the assault.  
  
But it never came.  
  
In a split of a second, a shadow blocked Sanji's vision. His jaw went slack as the scene unfolded in front of him. Doromeo's knife arm collided with flesh. Blood sprayed on the cook's face and he almost threw up at the sight.  
  
Chopper, in his Kung Fu Point, was holding Doromeo's arm. His face was pulled down into a frown and sheer determination. "Ch-Chopper…" Sanji muttered in horror.  
  
"Don't…" Chopper coughed up blood but remained his glare on Doromeo. "Touch… my… patient."  
  
Doromeo laughed which sent sickening shivers down Sanji's spine. He raised his knife arm that was impaling Chopper and the doctor grunted in pain. "Stop interrupting me." He thrashed Chopper away with a harsh wave of his arm.  
  
"CHOPPER!" The cook could only stare in horror. The little doctor shifted to his original form and was now lying bloody and unmoving on the cold hard ground, his cloak all dirtied and torn up.  
  
"Don't worry." Doromeo raised his arm again. But Sanji couldn't move, his eyes fixated on Chopper's limp body. "You'll be next, Black Leg."  
  
_Clank_.  
  
"Stop your mumbling, stone bastard."  
  
Sanji's blood froze in his veins. His head turned slowly towards the source of that rich, low baritone. Zoro was standing in front of him, his white sword tightly clenched between his teeth and the other two swords forming an 'X' to hold Doromeo's knife arm.  
  
"Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro," Doromeo said amused. "So the Strawhats are indeed in this island."  
  
"Sanji!"  
  
The cook's eyes landed on a familiar figure running towards him. "Luffy!" he shouted.  
  
"Oh my god, Chopper!" Nami cried as she took Chopper's limp form in her arms.  
  
"Luffy! Take Chopper and the cook to the ship. I'll take care of this," Zoro declared without turning his head around.  
  
"I got it!" Luffy stretched both of his arms, clawing his fingers on the fabric at Sanji's back. The rubber captain carried Sanji on his shoulder as he turned on heel to run away.  
  
"Luffy! I'm fine!" Sanji protested as the sound of clanking metals slowly ebbed away.  
  
"N-No…" The three of them looked at Chopper who was protectively tucked inside Nami's delicate arms. "S-Sanji…" He coughed. "You… can't… run."  
  
"Chopper," the cook whispered worriedly. He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to suppress the emotions that were beginning to well up inside him. "Shit, Chopper! Worry about yourself first! Stop! Just stop! I'm really sorry…"  
  
He heard the doctor gave a silent laugh before closing his eyes again in exhaustion. When the four of them gained sight of the Sunny, Nami shouted. "Usopp! Hurry! Prepare the first aid in the infirmary!"  
  
"Huh? What?" Usopp looked at them from the railing on Sunny's lawn and his eyes went wide. "I-I got it! Wait!" Usopp immediately ran and vanished in the infirmary. When the four of them were safely aboard the Sunny, Luffy lowered Sanji down and arranged his straw hat on his head.  
  
"You needed to be checked too, Sanji," Luffy stated.  
  
"I'm fine. I'll… I'll be fine." Fuck. He wasn't sure if he was fine. Heck, he wasn't even sure if the baby inside his womb was fine! Maybe he screwed up. Maybe it wasn't going to happen anymore. Maybe he wouldn't be a father anymore. Nami immediately carried Chopper to the infirmary. The cook bowed his head down and gripped the bridge of his nose. _Please. Please let Chopper be okay,_ he pleaded in his mind.  
  
"Cook-san." Sanji felt a subtle hand on his shoulder. When his eyes looked up, he saw Robin looking worriedly at him. "Are you all right?"  
  
The cook sighed and nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Robin-chan."  
  
"What happened, Sanji?" their captain demanded.  
  
The blond swallowed thickly. He really didn't need this conversation now. "Let him rest first, Luffy. Cook-san is exhausted as well." Sanji gave Robin a wondering look but the archeologist just offered him a gentle smile. Luffy seemed to let the matter go as he walked to the infirmary to visit Chopper.  
  
Sanji excused himself from the lady's presence. After taking off his hideous torn up gray cloak, he went to the galley to drink water and get himself something to eat. If he was going to be damn pregnant, then he should stay healthy for his baby. Sanji had only been carrying his child for two months, he had known about his fucked up situation this afternoon and had only painfully confirmed it an hour ago, but he was already so attached to the unborn life inside him–his little mystery. He would do anything to ensure his child's safety. He didn't even think twice when he used his arms and hands–the two precious tools important to a chef–to protect it. If he had to be crippled for life just so he could deliver his baby safely, then so be it. He loved his child unconditionally. Even if it was still a size of a peanut inside him.  
  
After feeding himself, Sanji stalked out of the galley and went at the back of the ship. He could rest here. He couldn't possibly sleep on his bed right now if he freaking knew that Chopper was there on the infirmary. Nami already assured everyone that Chopper would be alright but it still bothered Sanji. It was his fault. He shouldn't have fought with the shitty bastards. They should have run earlier. Fuck. It was all his damn fault.  
  
The cook bent over the railing, his hands clasped together tightly and his head hanging low in shame. The cold night breeze blew at his blond strands like soft whispers. After a few moments, the cook heard footsteps thundering the ship's wooden floor. It was getting louder and faster, and when the blond raised his head up to the side, he was greeted with a painful blow on his right cheek.  
  
The cook was sent flying on the far side railing, his arms instinctively clutching around his bump midair. A painful ache erupted on his spine as the solid edge of the railing buried on his back. Sanji could taste iron on his cracked lip. The blond frowned at the familiar figure hovering over him. The swordsman fisted his shirt and effortlessly hurled him on his feet. "What the fuck, cook?!" Zoro snarled at him with fearful rage wrapping in his eyes. "Why did you let that bastard hurt Chopper?!"  
  
Sanji swallowed painfully. "I'm… I'm sorry."  
  
A flash of annoyance showed on the swordsman's face. "That brute was a fucking _weakling_! How come you can't even handle a pest like that?!" Zoro brought his face closer to the cook. "You, me and Luffy are supposed to protect this crew. I thought I could trust you with that. Am I overestimating you, cook?"  
  
Zoro's words stung Sanji so bad. He wasn't in the place to be defensive about it, because he knew that this shit was his entire fault. Sanji's arms twitched around his stomach, and Zoro instantly noticed this sudden action. "Was it the shitty stomachache? Fuck! You're stronger than that!"  
  
The swordsman thrashed Sanji on the floor but the blond immediately supported himself with his feet. It was just a second of relief, because the swordsman was already wrestling him down, pinning both of his shoulders on the floor and straddling his thighs to immobilize his legs. Sanji's arms remained wrapped around his stomach. "If you are sorry, then take this as a man!" Zoro growled at him as he landed a punch on Sanji's left cheek. Sanji's vision went white for a second because of the impact. "You've been so fucking annoying these past few weeks! Are you letting this crew down? We have so much faith in you, cook!" Zoro landed another blow on his right cheek. Fuck, it was starting to throb so badly. "What if Chopper died? What would you do?!"  
  
He could take it. He was used to pain after all. He could handle a couple of beatings. But when he felt strong hands clasping on his arms and forcefully releasing them, that was the time when Sanji's adrenaline kicked in and he growled at the swordsman. "Stop fucking holding me, asshole!"  
  
"Shut up! I'll hit your fucking stomach so hard you'll die of your stupid excuse of a stomach ache, dickless bastard!" Zoro continued to pry the cook's arms away. The back of Sanji's eyes started to sting. The swordsman was so fucking strong that he needed to use all of his energy just to keep his arms wrapped around himself. When he felt his arms loosening a fraction, the blond bent forward and sunk his teeth deeply on large muscled arm. Zoro cried in pain and Sanji tasted blood in his mouth.  
  
Sanji could take the beatings. He wasn't a delicate woman. Zoro could beat his face into a pulp or twist his legs and arms painfully into a knot. Just… just please don't let him hurt his baby. Don't let this man hurt his own child.  
  
When the blond released his teeth from the swordsman's arm, he was instantly shoved hard against the wooden floor. "Why won't you fight me properly, cook? What are you so fucking _afraid_ of?!" Zoro raised his fist threateningly. Sanji anticipated the sickening blow, but he was surprised when ten delicate hands started sprouting around the swordsman's arm and shoulder, trapping him and immobilizing his fist in the air.  
  
"That's enough, Swordsman-san."  
  
Both men turned their heads towards their ship's archeologist, who was standing a few feet away from them with her arms crossed above her chest.  
  
"Stay out of this!" Zoro snarled at her.  
  
"No. You need to calm down," Robin said, but when the swordsman continued to struggle against her grip… "Veinte fleur!" Twenty arms began wrapping themselves around the swordsman. Robin thrashed the green-haired bastard away from Sanji and landed in a loud thud against the wall across the railing. The raven-haired woman instantly crouched beside the cook, placing an arm around his shoulder to support him. "Are you alright, Cook-san?"  
  
"Y-Yes," Sanji managed to say in a strained voice. "I'm… I'm fine." Sanji almost jumped when he felt Robin's hand caressing his arms that were wrapped protectively around his bump. He looked at the archeologist horrifyingly, but the lovely woman was just staring at his arms with a worried knot of her eyebrows. Did… did she know? How did she know?  
  
Before he could ask Robin, an annoyed grunt snapped back their attention. The swordsman was struggling a bit to stand on his own feet. Sanji could see the blood trailing down on Zoro's arm from the bite mark on his left bicep. The green fabric of his robe was torn and stained with dark red. There was a hole in the wall where Zoro flew against in. Fuck, Franky would be so pissed.  
  
"I'm afraid I would have to ask you to leave for now, Swordsman-san," Robin said with a carefully measured tone.  
  
Zoro looked at her for a moment then back at Sanji's piercing blue eye. "It's fine," Zoro said and turned on his heel to leave. "I'll be in town for a while. I can't stay calm on this ship. I need to blow off some steam." And with that, the swordsman jumped outside the railing, landing on his feet expertly like a cat.  
  
The cook looked at Zoro's retreating figure, slowly blending among the mist of shadows. There was a painful ache inside his chest, and Sanji could only heave a stifled sob on his palms. He tried his best to prevent any sound from coming out, making his breaths hitch painfully in his throat. Fuck. This was so messed up.  
  
"Cook-san." Sanji felt Robin's hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. But he wouldn't calm down. He couldn't calm down with Zoro angry at him like this. The man was so close to killing their own child. It was so _fucking_ close that Sanji had never felt so fucking _horrified_ in his entire life!  
  
He was mad. He was so frustrated with himself. He couldn't say anything. He just cried. Cried like a fucking weakling that he was. Zoro was hurt, he felt betrayed because of Sanji's weakness. He trusted Sanji with the crew and yet, he had let the man down. He'd let this crew down. It was all his _fucking goddamn fault.  
_  
"I'm… s-sorry. I'm… sorry… Robin-chan," Sanji breathed between silent sobs. His throat was starting to hurt so badly. He was trying so hard to stifle his sobs. He could feel his entire system tremble with different mixtures of stormy emotions.  
  
A hint of pain flashed across the lovely woman's eyes. She was so worried about the cook, and she could feel his pain causing a huge toll on his entire being. "You don't have to be sorry, Cook-san. I understand." Robin pulled away to cup Sanji's swollen cheek. She flashed him a kind smile which made Sanji's inner turmoil to dissipate a little. "The crew will understand."  
  
-TBC


	8. Determination

**Chapter 8: Determination**

 

"That bastard cook." Zoro took a swig from his large wooden beer mug, sloppily shoving the bitter liquid down his throat. With an annoyed grunt, he put the mug down loudly on the bar counter which earned a few heads turning to his way. He was glaring holes at the stash of carefully aligned wine bottles on the bar shelf for about an hour now and he was already on his fifth fill.  
  
"Take it easy, boy." The bartender, who looked more like a hoodlum than an employee, shoved another wooden mug beside Zoro. Well, this was a pirate bar after all. What would he expect?  
  
The swordsman snatched the drink with an irritated huff. "Leave me alone."  
  
The bartender just gave him a grunt and a dismissive wave. "Yeah. Yeah. Just don't fucking break my mugs and pay up." After that, the burly man walked away to assist another customer.  
  
Zoro stared blankly at the foam sprouting and lazily falling along the sides of the wooden mug. Without having to look at them, Zoro knew that his cheeks were already flushing a fair degree of red tint. He wasn't drunk. And he hated it that he couldn't get wasted easily, especially in times like this. His encounter with the cook earlier was so messed up. The moment he saw the blond at the back of the ship, leaning at the railing with head down low in reproach, anger took over him and the only thing that he knew was that he was rushing forward, fucking punching and shouting at the cook until his throat hurt.  
  
He was mad. The cook wasn't weak like that. He would never let any of his nakama be hurt. The annoying blond was the only one who could kick him awake, the only one who could stand up against him and rile him up until his very core. _He_ was the only one who could stand beside him, the one who could watch his and everyone's back in a fight. The one who could break boulders and kick their shitty enemies into the sky with his inhumanly strong legs.  
  
And when he saw the cook lying helplessly against a broken stall in town, both arms wrapped around his body, eyes wide in horror because of Chopper's limp form and about to be stabbed to death by the fucking stone bastard, Zoro felt multitudes of fear explode inside him. He was afraid. Afraid of what might happen to the cook. Heck, he wasn't even supposed to worry about the blond. In a fight, the cook was the one who he didn't have to be worried about. Luffy was insanely strong, but the fool frequently screwed up, getting himself dragged down into the sea or eaten by a gigantic sea king. So everytime the cook was around, that lean and strong back flushed against his and that foul mouth spouting insults and petty challenges about who could beat more marines up, Zoro felt completely relaxed, and as much as he would hate to admit... he was having _fun_.  
  
The blond was acting weird for about a few weeks now and it was starting to annoy Zoro. The cook was sporting his usual annoying self most of the times, well, aside from their encounter in the galley where the cook threw up and a few chances when he caught the blond staring at him like some creepy stalker. But the moment their gazes met, the blond would avert his visible blue eye instantly, no eye roll or even an angry huff. Just outright pretentiousness that nothing happened.  
  
Zoro could remember that close moment with the cook in the galley, the way that piercing blue eye warily watch him with curiosity. That was the time when he got to have a good look on the cook's eye. It was so round and resembled the color of the sea. What would his eye look like when he finally saw All Blue? Would it shine with excitement? Would it flash a darker color and burn with passion and pride? Zoro would like to see that. He would like to see all of his nakama achieve their own dreams. But he wanted to watch the cook laugh and beam like a child as he shouted at his nakama and to those people who mocked his dream that the All Blue was freaking real.  
  
A small smile crept into his lips. "Idiot," he mumbled. He would say that word to the cook's stupidly smiling face, he would utter it again and again until the blond got pissed and then he would laugh at his annoyed face with satisfaction.  
  
Except that the blond was being inexplicably hard right now. Zoro's hand clutched tightly around the handle of the wooden mug as a deep frown settled on his features. The cook wouldn't tell him what the hell was going through that stubborn mind of his. He tried asking the cook, initiate a fight, heck, he even resulted to cornering the bastard in the galley! Zoro grunted in frustration as his head banged on the counter. "Aaaah! Stupid, annoying, fucking, curly, bastard, idiotic, shitty cook!" He ruffled his hair up as he spat every word with venom. When had he become so involved with the cook? A few months ago, he couldn't care less about his fucking business! But now, why was it so different? What the hell was happening to him?  
  
"Oi, bastard."  
  
Zoro felt an unfamiliar presence behind him. The stranger nudged his foot under the bar stool, but when Zoro didn't budge, the bastard grunted in annoyance. "I'm talking to you, Pirate Hunter." Zoro's eyebrow rose at that, however, his head remained propped on the counter, his fingers dug on short green strands.  
  
After a while, the bastard howled. "You bastard!"  
  
The loud clash of metals echoed inside the entire bar, silencing any merrymakings or boisterous bar games. Zoro's hand was suspended in the air, his hand clasping the white hilt of Wado Ichimonji as the superior blade trapped the other's sword in place. Zoro slowly raised his head, his gray eye gleaming in peril at the intruder. "Fuck off." The swordsman waved his sword forcefully, his katana's blade igniting sparks at the collision, and earning a low growl from the man who staggered for balance for a second.  
  
The wooden floor of the bar creaked as few chairs were thrown backwards. Zoro glared at the approaching figures of about twenty men. "Let's have a duel," the bastard said, his black mustache and beard twisting unpleasantly with his ugly grin. "I've been waiting for a chance to have a fight with you. As a fellow swordsman, I swore on this sword that I will kill you tonight."  
  
His companions sneered and laughed in low, dangerous tones. Zoro eyed them carefully, and when his glare settled on the buffoon in front of him, the swordsman stood on his feet, sheathing the historical white katana on his hip and flashing the men with a badass grin. "Perfect timing." Zoro cracked his neck and eased the tension on his shoulder blades. "I'm so pissed off right now."

* * *

"God, Sanji-kun! It's not the right time to fight with Zoro!" Nami exclaimed exasperatedly as she applied a cotton ball soaked with ointment on Sanji's cracked lower lip and swollen right cheek.  
  
"Ah—" Sanji's hands almost gripped Nami's hand. "It's painful, Nami-san."  
  
The navigator frowned at him. "And I swear I will punch you if you fight with Zoro again."  
  
"Ah! Nami-san's fierce look is so adorable!" Sanji lovingly proclaimed with fidgeting shoulders. The orange-haired beauty rolled her eyes at the foolish man and put a clean gauze on his right cheek. The clock's hand ticked loudly in the infirmary as a moment of silence dawned between them with Nami busily tending Sanji's small cuts and bruises on his face and arms from his earlier fight with Doromeo and with the blond staring blankly at the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry, Nami-san."  
  
Nami's hand froze. Her large brown eyes locked with Sanji's blue one. "Why are you saying sorry, Sanji-kun?"  
  
"Because it's my fault." Sanji gazed at the small calm form of his nakama resting on the infirmary bed. His little chest rising and falling rhythmically, and his belly wrapped tightly in white bandages. The cook felt that suffocating feeling again around his neck and settling like a heavy rock inside his chest. It was guilt.  
  
"It's not your fault," Nami said.  
  
"Yes, it _is_ , Nami-san." The blond's hands balled tightly on his thighs.  
  
Nami eyed her nakama for a moment, weighing the other's pained and culpable look. "Then, Sanji-kun," she started and the blond turned his head at her, "tell us what really happened."  
  
The color on the cook's face drained into a sickly pale white. He couldn't muster any coherent response, and everytime he tried to stumble out the words, the sound got drowned inside his throat. The navigator caught the conflicted expression of the cook. She sighed quietly and then placed a frail hand on Sanji's shoulder. "You can tell us everything you know. We'll understand."  
  
_The crew will understand._  
  
Robin's voice echoed inside his head. Then suddenly, bit by bit, his doubts were being washed away. The huge wall made up of his fears began to crumble under his crew's thoughtful words. Maybe, Robin was right. The crew would understand. He trusted them with his own life. So there was no reason to hide the truth from them.  
  
Sanji bowed his head down, contemplating and weighing different approaches that would make the heavy truth lighter. Then after a few moments of thinking, struggling and biting his lip, Sanji decided to look the navigator straight in the eyes, his face stern with determination as he said, "Let's meet with the crew."

* * *

It was past 10 o'clock in the evening when the Strawhats gathered in the galley. Fortunately, none of them decided to rent a room in the town which made it easier for Sanji to gather his crewmates, with the exception of Chopper and Zoro. Well, he wouldn't actually want to retell his story so the situation was practically convenient for him, and he was quite sure that he didn't need Zoro knowing of his situation right now. He knew he had to tell the man someday, but now was just… difficult. He needed time. Preparation. He was afraid what the other man would say about this whole damn thing.  
  
As they sat down around the dinner table, Sanji served them his special sakura tea. His nakama thanked him, sipping on their cups as they waited for Sanji to unfurl the curtains. When Sanji sensed that everyone was all ready to listen, he sighed and leaned back on the counter. His arms crossed above his chest and his right foot folded over the other.  
  
"I'm pregnant."  
  
It was loud and simple, but Sanji could swear that he could hear the crickets a hundred miles away. The silence that engulfed the whole ship was deafeningly quiet. The pairs of eyes that were currently boring holes on his skin were filled with a mixture of shock and disbelief. No one dared to speak. And after a few painful seconds passed, Robin was the one who broke the ice. "For how long, Cook-san?" she said.  
  
Sanji eyed the beautiful lady for a moment. The cook knew that she knew the truth, and if she was just asking this out of sheer kindness and consideration for him and for the crew, then Sanji was so thankful to her. "About two months. According to Chopper," he added.  
  
"W-What? Wait. Wait wait wait!" Nami stood up, hands in the air and her eyes filled with disbelief. "Sanji-kun, what are you saying? You can't be pregnant!"  
  
"Except that he _is_ , Nami," the archeologist cut in, and that earned her the crew's questioning stares.  
  
"What? You knew about this, Robin?" Nami asked with a tinge of hurt.  
  
"I noticed that something's been bothering Cook-san, so when Chopper asked him to come to his clinic this afternoon, I listened to their conversation." Robin turned to Sanji. "I'm sorry, Cook-san. I was just worried about you. It wasn't normal for you to be so out of character."  
  
So that was how she knew. Maybe the woman used her ability to listen to his and Chopper's conversation. That explained her sudden interruption with his argument with Zoro a few hours ago, saying that she needed a cup of coffee. Perhaps she was worried about his condition, and she didn't want Sanji to strain his body in a fight. In a way, he was thankful that the lady didn't tell anyone about it.  
  
"It's okay, Robin-chan," Sanji replied. "You're bound to know about it anyway." Robin smiled at him gently and his cheeks warmed up because of that.  
  
"How come you're… p-pregnant, Sanji?" Usopp asked with wide eyes. And when Sanji explained about Chopper's theory on his altered hormones and reproductive system, the projected proof that they had when they met Dr. Ranport in town, and Chopper's suspicious overprotectiveness on him, awe and understanding seemed to dawn on his crew.  
  
However, Luffy tilted his head to the side in confusion, his feet crossed on his seat and arms folded over his chest. "But, Sanji, if you're having a baby… then who's the father?"  
  
Sanji froze at the question. A big part of him hoped that the frightening question wouldn't pop out, but here Luffy was, being annoyingly smart at an annoyingly inconvenient time. Sanji felt his fingers tremble, his palms coating with a thin layer of sweat. Fuck. He was dreading for his dose of nicotine right now.  
  
"Well, uh, you see…" He started to fiddle on his choice of words to ease the blow as the cook remained to be the pivot point of the crew's questioning gazes. "It was… um… actually, uh…"  
  
"Is it Zoro?"  
  
Sanji's head whipped up, his widened blue eye landing on Nami's beautiful coffee-brown ones. His jaw fell slack, his heart hammering against his chest madly and his face reddening with shameful confirmation.  
  
The crew gasped in disbelief and astonishment. "That was suuuuuper, Sanji-bro!" Franky exclaimed in his signature pose.  
  
"Yohohohoho! I thought so, Sanji-san! Congratulations!" Brook declared happily.  
  
"Shi-shi-shi-shi! This is awesome! Zoro and Sanji are going to be daddies!" Luffy laughed.  
  
"I think I'm losing my mind." Usopp gripped his head with both hands, perhaps trying to digest the whole fact through his stupid brain.  
  
"My, my…" Robin tossed a coin towards Nami, who caught it with a nasty smile and a mischievous 'thank you.' When did they have the time to bet who the other man was?!  
  
Sanji could only gape at his crew. He shouldn't be surprised about his nakama's weird reactions. But _still_. He wasn't expecting this! He was expecting disapproving looks and such, but maybe he underestimated his crew too much. He should have known, for fuck's sake!  
  
The cook literally face-palmed at his crew's stupidity rather than his own relief. The ladies were already having talks about what baby stuff they should get for the new addition to the crew, and Franky was saying that he could build the most suuuuuper cradle that the world had ever seen. It was all rolling really fast that Sanji wasn't able to catch up.  
  
"So, Sanji," Luffy looked at him with a wide smile. "Will you marry Zoro?"  
  
Sanji blushed heavily at the question. "W-Who would marry that brute? Idiot!" What the fuck was his captain even saying? Was he out of his goddamn mind? Well, Sanji hadn't thought about the possibility until now, so he didn't really know the answer to that. Still, asking such outrageous questions! Stupid idiot.  
  
"Eh? But, Sanji! You're having a baby!" Luffy reasoned out and the crew laughed at Sanji's discomfort and stupidly flushing face!  
  
"I'm not marrying him!" Sanji shouted then his voice dropped down a few decibels. "The marimo didn't know."  
  
All the commotion died down because of that. "EH?!" Nami banged his hands down on the table. "Are you kidding me, Sanji-kun? How come he didn't know?"  
  
"I… I can't tell him yet, Nami-san. I can't find the right timing for it. And the... thing that happened between us was the alcohol's fault. The marimo didn't have any idea. The moss ball was dead _drunk_ ," he reasoned, and never in his entire life would he admit out loud that he was afraid what the marimo would think about him.  
  
His nakama shot him sympathetic looks, but Nami immediately changed the mood with an impatient grunt. "Well, you need to tell him NOW!" the navigator emphasized the last word with a loud bang of her hand on the table.  
  
Sanji jolted in place, holding his hands up to calm her down. "B-But Nami-san. The bastard wasn't exactly in the mood for that conversation right now." Zoro was fucking mad at him. He left the ship because he couldn't stay calm with him around. As if on cue, a sudden pain crept inside his heart, making his cheeks flush and his eyes sting. The crew fell silent as Sanji tried his best to blink the tears away. Thankfully, no one commented on that sudden pour of emotion. Damn. Was it because of this shitty pregnancy?  
  
"I'll go with you, Cook-san." They stared at Robin who stood up with a smile on her lovely face. "Let's get moving now if we don't want to lose Swordsman-san."  
  
"Oh we already lost him alright," Usopp joked and everyone laughed at that, even Sanji. Because they all knew that Zoro might be helplessly lost at this very moment.  
  
"But—" the blond began, but was interrupted with a loud smack on his back, snatching away his breath out of his lungs.  
  
"It's okay, Sanji-kun!" Nami gave him a thumbs-up. "I know he'll come around." The navigator winked at him and Sanji almost felt his nosebleed getting the good of him.  
  
The cook noodle-danced in front of her. "Whoa! A determined Nami-san is so cooool!"  
  
Nami rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now get going or I'll kick your ass!"  
  


* * *

Sanji and Robin made their way to the town wearing the cloaks that Nami bought earlier. "So where do we start, Cook-san?" the archaeologist asked politely.  
  
"If you ask me, Robin-chan, I will honestly say nowhere because that stray moss might be stupidly lost right now." Sanji sighed. "But if there's a place for his sake pickled ass, then I think the bar will be the first place we should look at."  
  
Robin chuckled. "I guess you're right."  
  
The two Strawhats visited all the bars and drinking places that they could find along their way. Two people told them that they saw a scary man with green hair who was dangerously walking with three swords strapped on his hip five blocks away. The cook's curly eyebrow raised when one of their sources said something about around twenty people following the scary man and turning around a dark alley.  
  
Sanji immediately ran towards that direction, his heart beating painfully loud inside his chest as Robin followed behind him. Shit, what was that bastard doing? Was he getting himself into a shitty fight? There might be fucking marines lurking around here! What if he was caught? No, he wouldn't get caught. But what if there was a freaking admiral? The marimo could stand a chance, but there was still a chance that the stubborn asshole would lose. Hell, he was so goddamn worried right now. "Shitty marimo," he growled under his breath.  
  
"Cook-san! Don't strain yourself!"  
  
Sanji lowered his pace until his feet were settling down for a walk. "Shit," he cursed silently. "Thank you for reminding me, Robin-chan." The woman just smiled at him and after a few minutes, the dark alley to their right caught their attention. They heard screams and loud groans from the other end. The two immediately darted into the darkness, blending among the shadows with their hooded cloaks and stealthy footsteps.  
  
"Ugh!"  
  
The two Strawhats stopped on their tracks, instantly leaning against both walls across each other. "You said you'll kill me tonight?" The blond froze at that voice. From the corner of his eye, he saw Robin flick a gaze at him for a second before focusing back her attention towards the strong man standing several feet away from them.  
  
The top portion of Zoro's robe was undone, letting the green fabric dangle around his thighs and supported by the red fabric strapped tightly around his hips. His white katana's blade gleamed under the moonlight, as the other two were tainted with blotches of blood. The swordsman was standing at the center of the pile of limp bodies. He pointed Kitetsu at the man who was hunched and kneeling down in pain, grasping his shoulder that was oozing with dark red blood.  
  
"Don't spout such useless words." Zoro took a step closer and Kitetsu's sharp tip pointed threateningly at the man's throat. "Because I will be the world's _greatest_ swordsman someday."  
  
Sanji felt a swell of pride inside his chest and he couldn't help but grin at Zoro's bold remark. "How can you be so sure?" the wounded man spat.  
  
Zoro sheathed his three swords, and flashed the man a serious scowl. "Because it's my dream—to be the _greatest_. And when I had decided to follow it, I already threw the rest of my life away."  
  
Sanji remembered those words. Those were the words that Zoro said to him two years ago, way back in the Baratie, with him sitting on top of one of their rounded tables and Zoro standing on the spiral staircase above him. That time, Sanji was annoyed at the man's sheer determination, reasoning that Zoro's foolish dream would one day get himself killed. But he was proven wrong by the swordsman. The green-headed fool trained harder than anyone, disciplined himself more than anyone, and endured harder than anyone even up to the point of literally taking all of the physical pain of his captain. And those were all for the sake of his nakama and his dream. Sanji was once again reminded why he had decided to set out on the sea, to venture the Grand Line's mystery and its dangerous tides.  
  
It was because Sanji also had a foolish dream like Zoro.  
  
"I'm still weak. I need to train harder. I don't need any _distractions_." The swordsman took a sword from the ground. "And if I die before I achieve my dream, then that's how far I can go." Zoro tilted the sword's blade, examining its metalwork under the moonlight. "You got a nice blade, but you failed to appreciate it. I swear on this sword that I will find a rightful owner who will take good care of it, much better care than you ever did."  
  
"B-Bastard…" The man coughed and fell face down on the ground. "Curse you… filthy… pirate…"  
  
Zoro tucked the sword into its sheath carefully, and after a few seconds, "Why don't you show yourself now?" The swordsman turned around, making Sanji and Robin jolt in place. The cook looked at Robin but the woman just gave her a shrug.  
  
Sanji sighed and leaned away from the wall, taking a few steps towards the moonlight. "Stop acting like a tough asshole, marimo."  
  
"Cook?" The marimo's visible right eye widened in surprise. The cook held that gaze for a moment before the man's eye darted on Robin beside him.  
  
"We're searching for your lost sorry ass." Sanji tilted his head to the side cockily.  
  
The swordsman bowed his head and looked at him through a hooded eye. "What do you want?" Zoro turned his back to Sanji, his taut back muscles tensing under the pressure. "I'm not going back to the ship."  
  
"You won't." At that, the swordsman looked over his shoulder while Robin eyed him with wonder. Sanji's hands fidgeted inside his pants' pockets. The blond thought deeply for a moment, both of his companions waiting for his next words. And when they came, Sanji sighed heavily, raising his head up and flashing the marimo a mocking grin. "We're having a feast on the third day before the log pose sets the following morning." The blond turned his back to the swordsman. "Make sure you don't get lost and show your mossy ass in the Sunny at dinner, idiot swordsman."  
  
With that, Sanji's heels met the ground, walking away along the dark alley without another glance to the swordsman. Robin looked at Zoro for a moment before following the cook. "Cook-san?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"It's okay, Robin-chan," Sanji said smiling and Zoro's words echoed inside his head clearly.  
  
_Because I will be the greatest swordsman in the world someday._  
  
It's my dream—to be the greatest. And when I had decided to follow it, I already threw the rest of my life away.  
  
I'm still weak. I need to train harder.  
  
I don't need any distractions.  
  
The blond tilted his head up, mesmerizing himself at the bright glow of the stars above the night sky. He felt his smile grew wider, remembering the marimo's resolute words and tenacity.  
  
"Just focus on your shitty dream, idiot." Sanji chuckled and shook his head. "That die-hard bastard."  
  
-TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Tune in for the next chapters! :)


	9. Sanji's Resolve

**Chapter 9: Sanji’s Resolve**

 

Robin didn’t ask anymore questions as they progressed towards the Sunny. They walked in silence, and that was exactly what Sanji needed right now. The archeologist threw occasional glances towards the blond, but she noticed how deep and serious Sanji’s expression was. He was looking ahead to where he was going, but the woman knew that he was practically staring right through everything.

When they boarded the Sunny, both Strawhats pulled off their cloaks, letting the fabric drape over their arms. “Thank you for accompanying me, Robin-chan,” Sanji thanked her with a smile on his lips. “Can you help me get the others to the galley? I have to say something to them.”

“Of course, Cook-san.” The two of them parted ways and started to hunt their crew members. It was already nearing midnight when the crew assembled in the galley. Usopp was already in his pajamas, hugging his pillow as he sat sleepily on the chair.

“I’m sorry for calling you guys so late,” he uttered guiltily.

Nami shook her head. “Not really, Sanji-kun. Some of us were still awake after all, so, what is it? Wait, have you told that brute?” Nami said with bright eyes, excitement hinting on her tone.

Sanji’s gaze flicked on the floor for a second, then up to meet her stare. “No. I can’t, Nami-san.”

“Huh? What do you mean, Sanji-kun?” Nami asked perplexed. Robin was examining his expression seriously as his other crewmates stared at him with curious eyes.

Sanji stood up from his seat, shoving his hands inside his pants’ pockets and looking at his captain who was sitting at the head of the table. “Luffy, I’m asking for your permission to leave the crew.”

“WHAT?” Nami exclaimed.

“Oh my, oh my…” Brook said as he bit on his bony fingernails.

“That’s not cool, Sanji-bro!” Franky added.

“Oi, oi, oi. You’re joking, right, Sanji?” Usopp tried to laugh at his own joke.

“Eh? Why are you leaving, Sanji?” Luffy asked, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

“Luffy!” Nami thumped her fist on the table. “Don’t let Sanji-kun leave!” She eyed Sanji with a scowl evident on her lovely face. “What are you talking about, Sanji-kun? I’m sure Zoro will accept your baby no matter what!”

“I know, Nami-san,” Sanji replied politely.

Nami seemed to back down a little at that, losing the frown she was holding for a second. “T-Then… what is it?”

Sanji shuffled lightly on his feet, perceiving the sturdiness of the Adam wood below him as no creak sounded as he shifted his weight. “I know Zoro will probably accept it. But I can’t do this to him.” The blond looked Luffy in the eyes and the captain looked back seriously. “Zoro has to train harder for his ambition. He doesn’t need any _distractions_ or a little kid running around him to look after for until he meets his dream. Zoro will soon fight Mihawk, the man who almost cut him in half, and he needs great concentration for that. The marimo is goddamn determined and stubborn for his aspiration,” Sanji looked at his nakama and smiled, “Just exactly like us for our own dreams.”

The crew fell silent. The blond could see understanding and sadness in their eyes. “Sanji-kun,”Nami spoke in a melancholic voice.

“There’s one more thing.” Sanji swallowed and bit his lip in thought. “We’re wanted pirates in the whole world. The marine is going after our heads, as well as bounty hunters, and we basically declared war with the other yonkō.” Sanji mindlessly ran a hand over his tiny bump, his nakama following that gentle gesture with wistful and empathetic eyes. “I want what’s best for my child. I want to deliver it safely, away from any threats or danger. It’s a shitty situation, but I can’t ask you to stay anchored in an island for the next seven months. You guys have your own life, your own dreams and ambitions. That’s the very reason why you set out on the sea, like me and that moss head—to fulfill them. And I can’t basically calm down if I knew that my child’s life is at stake in a notorious pirate ship.”

“We’ll protect your baby, Sanji! We’re nakama after all!” Usopp shouted and the whole crew nodded to it.

Sanji’s heart was touched because of that proclamation. He smiled gently at Usopp. “I know you guys will. Thank you. But things will get tougher soon as we venture on the New World. The time will come when I can’t fight alongside this crew. I don’t want to be a burden to anyone, not in a time when we’re almost at the brink of war with Kaido.” Sanji stared at his captain whose eyes were hooded under his remarkable straw hat. “So what’s your decision, Captain?”

All pairs of eyes landed on their captain who was sitting silently at the head of the table, arms crossed, eyes hidden under his straw hat and lips set in a thin line. For a moment, there was silence. Everyone could almost hear the echo of tension around the galley. Luffy raised his head, just enough for his black orbs to capture Sanji’s deep blue one, and everyone held their breaths as they waited for their captain’s words.

“I refuse.” Luffy’s words cut the silence of the crowded room.

The crew exhaled loudly, letting out the breaths hitched in their throats earlier. Sanji sighed at that, expecting that Luffy wouldn’t understand that easily. “Your baby will be our new nakama. And I swear that I will protect it no matter what.”

“Luffy’s right, Sanji!” Usopp stood up and gave him a thumbs-up as he flashed Sanji his cocky grin. “Usopp-sama together with my one hundred thousand followers will protect your baby!”

“Eh? One hundred thousand?!”

The crew’s attention was snatched away by that small voice coming from the galley door. After the little creature regained himself from shock, he immediately ran towards Sanji and gave him a hurt look. “Why are you having this conversation without me? You can’t leave, Sanji! I need to look after you!”

“Oi, Chopper. Are you alright?” Franky said worriedly.

“You shouldn’t be out of your bed,” Robin added.

However, Chopper ignored them and just hugged Sanji’s pant leg. “You can’t leave, Sanji!” The little doctor cried loudly. “You can’t leave us! We’ll have our adventure together!”

Nami wiped a tear under her eye as she smiled at Chopper’s words. Franky cried and hugged Brook tightly who was saying about his bones breaking. Sanji knelt down on one knee and tapped Chopper’s head. “I plan to visit you in the infirmary to inform you about this. And don’t worry, Chopper, I will go to Dr. Ranport for help, so you don’t have to stress yourself. He probably knows more about my situation than the two of us combined.”

Chopper sniffed on his hooves, and when he stared at Sanji, the blond could see Chopper’s tear-stained big eyes and runny blue nose. “But, Sanji… I will miss you.”

Sanji laughed and tapped Chopper’s blue nose. “I’ll miss you too, buddy. I’ll miss everyone on this ship.” The cook stood up and placed his hands safely in the confines of his pants’ pocket. Sanji turned around and looked at Luffy once again. “I knew you wouldn’t approve of it, Luffy. So let’s have a deal.”

“Deal?” Luffy asked.

Sanji nodded. “I won’t leave the crew without your permission, because first of all, I respect my ship’s captain.” Everyone seemed to be overjoyed of his remark as he could hear happy gasps from his nakama. “But…” Sanji raised his finger to make his point clear. “Let me disembark from the ship. Give me a few years to raise my shitty kid away from danger. Then, I can come back to the crew if you still want me as your cook.”

Disapproving words aired around the group silently. “But what about All Blue, Sanji-kun?” Nami asked sadly.

“Nothing changes, Nami-san.” Sanji smiled at her. “It’s still my dream and I’m sure as hell that it’s real and I will find it someday. But this isn’t about All Blue anymore. I’m living my life not only for it but also for another purpose.” Sanji caressed his bump and that moment of affection seemed to hit the crew like a tidal wave. “I want to raise my child safely. See him follow his own dream someday. Who knows, he may become a pirate cook also.” Sanji laughed and that last sentence made the crew smile.

“Oh your child will, alright! And he’s welcome aboard the Sunny anytime,” Usopp said as everyone nodded enthusiastically.Sanji returned the gratitude and after a while, Sanji’s visible eye looked directly at Luffy who was also looking seriously back at him. The captain was quiet during the crew’s exchange so Sanji was sure that he was considering the matter earnestly.

“So what will it be, Captain?” Sanji asked.

Luffy closed his eyes for a moment. The crew fell silent once more, making Sanji’s heart thump louder against his chest in every passing second. And when the captain slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fell on Sanji for five seconds before a huge grin broke out on his face. “Okay. I’ll give you permission to disembark the ship.”

Sanji felt his system flush with relief, and the way his shoulders sagged out of tension became visible to his nakama. The crew seemed to be happy for him, but he knew for a fact that they still wanted him to stay. “Thank you, Luffy,” the cook said gladly. “When the log pose sets on the third day, I will disembark at once the following morning before you sail out.”

“Sanji…” Chopper sniffed and tears were starting to accumulate on his eyes again. The blond remembered that he hadn’t told the doctor yet who the father of his child was. And when he spoke of Zoro’s name, the little doctor seemed quite surprised but he said that he was actually kind of expecting it.

“Can you promise me one last thing?” the blond asked to his crew.

“It’s not the last, idiot! Don’t say that!” Nami exclaimed.

“A-Ah, yeah. Sorry about that.”Sanji scratched his head apologetically.

“So,” Nami crossed her arms above her chest, “what is it, Sanji-kun?”

The cook straightened on his feet, resolution all over his face in his request. “Please don’t tell Zoro anything about this. Not until he becomes the greatest swordsman in the world.”

The crew looked at him with shocked eyes. The navigator was about to protest but Luffy cut her off. “I understand.”

“What? Luffy!” Nami called out in disbelief.

“Don’t argue, Nami.” Luffy looked at her sternly. “Are you trying to trample on a man’s resolve? Sanji knows more than us that Zoro has the right to know the truth and he cares about Zoro’s dream more than us if he decides to go through all that trouble for his sake. So we can’t deprive him of his request if he is standing in front of us with that great resolution on his face.”

Nami closed her mouth at that, and resigned on her seat with a deep sigh. In a normal occasion, Sanji would definitely kick his captain’s head for contradicting a lady but right now, he was glad that Luffy understood and he was once again reminded why he decided to follow the young man. Luffy cared the most about his nakama. Even if he was acting stupid most of the time, it was during moments like this that the young man acted like a true captain and the crew regarded his authority with great respect.

“We’re having a feast on the third day.” His nakama looked at him as the cook rewarded them with a huge smile. “I will prepare the best buffet that you will ever eat in your entire life!”

The crew gasped in surprise and excitement. “Whoa!” Luffy jumped out of his seat with his eyes turning into fucking stars and his mouth drooling over Sanji’s precious floorboard. “Meat! Meat! Meat! Sanji, I want huge meat!”

The cook couldn’t do anything but to face-palm with a heavy sigh. “Idiotic rubber captain.”

* * *

The second day passed by so quickly with the members going around the town to buy additional supplies for their voyage, preparing for the feast the next day which, Sanji honestly thought, was his farewell party for the crew, but his nakama spent most of their time helping Sanji with his market duty, Usopp and Franky carrying some bags for him, and making meals with the lovely ladies to help him.

The crew was actually being unusually clingy to Sanji, always hanging around him wherever he went, and it got worse on the third day. Chopper already started tearing up and hugging Sanji’s pant leg, sniffing on the black fabric like the cute kid that he was. Sanji understood. He knew how sad and painful it was for the crew to see a member of their family leave their home, but the feeling was mutual for Sanji. He really didn’t want to leave. But it was the best for his child and also for the crew. Both sides couldn’t be selfish about it–he couldn’t jeopardize his child’s safety just because he wanted to gallivant around the world, and the crew couldn’t claim that they would protect the child _at all times_. Being a pirate was dangerous enough. They all had to face the truth that Sanji couldn’t stay with them until he had safely delivered his child.

The evening of the third day was boisterous. Brook was playing his violin, Franky and Usopp doing their stupid dances, the lovely ladies laughing with drinks from Sanji’s special punch bowl, and Luffy and Chopper wearing those stupidly long sticks in their nostrils. The cook kicked their captain’s head, yelling that he shouldn’t make such disgusting faces in front of the ladies. The whole ship was so loud and rowdy, he was afraid for a moment that the villagers might come and yell at them.

“Oi, Zoro! Where have you been all this time?”

The crew’s attention snapped towards the figure of their nakama standing a few feet away on Sunny’s lawn. The swordsman shrugged, cracking his neck as he made his way to the group. “Just did something in town.” So the bastard did come, huh. Sanji examined the man for a moment, and seeing that he wasn’t holding the sword that he saw with the man the other night, he thought that Zoro might have given it to its ‘rightful’ owner like what the marimo had said.

Zoro looked over the rich buffet table. “Anything for me?”

“Heh. Just admit that you got your ass lost, stupid marimo.”

The swordsman flicked his right eye towards Sanji and the cook could swear that his heart jumped because of that sudden interaction. The swordsman pulled his face into a scowl. “Mind your own business, shitty cook.”

If the crew was worried, then they did a great job of not showing it. They had promised Sanji after all. His nakama was doing a great job of not arousing any suspicion from the swordsman. However, Sanji could feel the crew’s occasional glances on his direction, especially the lovely ladies. The cook rolled his eye at the brute, turned around and kicked a huge wooden barrel towards the swordsman who caught it reflexively with both arms. “Suit your mossy self, marimo,” the cook spoke with a cocky grin. Zoro didn’t reply, not even a roll of his eye or an annoyed grunt, he just stared at Sanji with that measuring look on his face. Zoro’s stare went down on the gauze plastered on his right cheek and Sanji felt his heart banged painfully against his chest because of that. But before the blond could give anything away, he turned around and focused on doting on the ladies instead.

After Sanji said those words to Zoro, he didn’t bother himself with the swordsman anymore. The lack of interaction was secretly pulling Sanji’s insides apart, but he knew that if he and Zoro would accidentally have any mushy conversation or if the swordsman slipped an apology from his mouth, then Sanji was scared that he might actually back down from his resolve. He was feeling something for the swordsman–something more challenging than a rival and something that was far greater than a nakama. It was deeper, richer… and warmer.

The moment he knew that he was carrying Zoro’s child, that hidden and neglected feeling he had for the swordsman for a long time had finally broken through the walls of his heart. The realization hit him like a dam bursting through the cracks, and it robbed the blond breathless.

Sanji was painfully and stupidly in love with Zoro.

It was past midnight when Nami declared that the log pose had finally set, and it was three in the morning when the party finally died down and his crew lulled into slumber. The blond was the one who cleaned the terrible mess up. This was the least he could do for his crew before the dawn broke. After expertly washing the dishes in the galley, the blond pulled the case of his knife set from one of his cupboards. He left a notebook containing a copy of his recipes on the counter, just in case the crew would want help with cooking their meals from now on. He scribbled a note on a piece of paper which read: _Don’t waste and burn the food._

He left the note on top of the notebook. He walked towards the doorway, his hand gripping the handle tightly and his eye taking one good look around his kitchen for the last time. Sanji inhaled deeply. “I’ll miss this place,” he whispered, finally shutting the door and walking towards the male’s quarter. Sanji had already packed his belongings the night before, so he took his bag from his bunk bed and slung the strap on his left shoulder as he carried the knife case with his right hand. It was a fucking déjà vu with his departure from the Baratie, however this time, Sanji couldn’t indulge his lungs with one last smoke.

He and the crew decided to not say good bye for his nakama insisted that he wasn’t actually leaving but just taking a _long_ vacation off. It was convenient for Sanji, because he didn’t basically want to bawl his eyes out. He would miss the crew, but he promised that he would write to them frequently.

The blond went out of the male’s quarter, shutting the door gently on its hinges. Sanji walked into the lawn where the rest of his crew was sprawling and snoring their lives away. The cook laughed at the stupid sight. He wouldn’t get tired of seeing this everyday. Sanji walked towards their beautiful navigator, kneeling down on one knee as he scribbled a note on a piece of paper. After a few moments, Sanji stared down on his handwriting.

_Nami-san, if you find All Blue, please chart it for me. I will find it and you guys someday. Say thank you to Robin-chan and to the bastards for me. Sorry for the trouble. Sanji._

The blond folded the piece of paper nicely in half and tucked it neatly inside Nami’s soft hand. When the blond took one last look at the navigator’s sleeping face, Sanji stood up on his feet with a heavy sigh. He would really miss the lovely faces of his angels.

Sanji silently walked to the railing, taking one last look on his nakama and on the Thousand Sunny, the ship that he considered his home and the strongest ship in the Grand Line that would one day sail until the ends of the Earth. And as the first rays of the sun broke out through the horizon, Sanji jumped out of the ship, his feet landing smoothly on the damp sand beneath him. He took a few steps away from the ship, but his heart already felt like breaking. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He shouldn’t cry. He would see his nakama again someday, maybe when Luffy was already the Pirate King, then the crew would set sail in the sole purpose of looking for him, then Nami would give him the map of All Blue, and Sanji would sail again with his friends for his own eyes to witness and live in his own dream… with his precious child standing close beside him.

“Oi.”

Sanji’s footsteps halted on the sand. His heart started to beat louder in his chest, especially when he heard footsteps hitting the same vast of sand he was walking on. “You going somewhere?”

The cook tightened his hand on the strap of his bag. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking for a casual response, and when he did come up with it, the blond turned around to look at the man who was standing a few feet away from him. “Mind your own business, Marimo,” Sanji said with a boring look.

Zoro’s facial features flinched with annoyance. The man crossed his arms over his chest as he tilted his head slightly to the side. “Why are you sneaking off like a fucking cat, shitty cook?” Zoro’s eye landed on the bag and knife case that Sanji was holding, making the frown on his face deeper.

Realizing that the stubborn man wouldn’t let him go without a fight, Sanji gave out a defeated sigh. He wasn’t really expecting to see Zoro now of all times. He was hoping that the man would be dead drunk like _that_ night after Sanji gave him that large barrel of sake, and that the crew would be the one to deal with him later on. Not that Sanji expected the man to care of his absence. The brute might actually be happy when no one would finally kick his mossy ass awake or guard the sake all the time. He would live a perfectly _fucking_ happy life on the ship.

“Well, as you can see, mosshead,” Sanji began and emphasized his luggage for a moment, “I’m leaving.”

“To where?”

“Somewhere where I cannot see your annoyingly stupid face.”

The blond saw something flashed across Zoro’s gray eye. It was a moment of flickering emotion. But whatever it was, the cook didn’t have any idea. “Was it because I punched you? Are you being a pussy and sulking on your own?”

Sanji scowled at Zoro’s words. “I’m not sulking!” he yelled, dropping his knife case as he pointed an accusing finger at the bastard. “And I’m not a pussy! I deserve that punch, okay? Now, are you happy? Will you finally let me leave in peace?”

“Then what’s the reason, stupid cook?” Zoro unexpectedly asked in a calm tone that Sanji almost lost his balance. “Are you mad at me?”

Sanji’s finger wavered and slowly settled at his side. A familiar emotion started to swell inside his chest which made the cook lower his guard around the swordsman. “No,” Sanji replied with a tranquil tone. “I’m not mad at you.”

“Then why are you leaving?” The swordsman was looking seriously at him, his frown deepening as he waited for the blond’s response.

Sanji decided to settle this in a mocking battle. He couldn't afford any sappy drama right now, especially from this damn marimo. He could already feel his resolve crumbling a little when he saw the other man. He would never back down on his words. “What, Marimo-kun, worried about me?”

“Why would I be worried about your shitty ass, Dartboard Brow?” Zoro spat in annoyance.

The blond laughed. The bastard just wouldn’t soften up no matter. “Look, Marimo. I’m not leaving the crew. I just have to do something on my own. Luffy and the others already gave me their blessing, so suck it up.”

Sanji put his bag down on the sand. After a while, he walked towards the swordsman with a grin on his face. Zoro looked at him with caution, maybe the bastard thought that Sanji would initiate a fight, but he was dead wrong. When Sanji was only an arm away, the blond flicked his blue eye towards the swordsman, indulging himself in the warm gray color of the other man’s eye. “You’ll keep the crew safe, yeah?”

Zoro snorted. “Of course I will, idiot. You don’t have to say that to me.”

Sanji grinned at that. “Then you’ll be the greatest and most fucking annoying swordsman in the world, yeah?”

The swordsman’s lips turned into a lopsided, cocky smile. “Fucking hell I will, shitty cook. I will shove my greatness right in your face when that happens and I will make sure you cry of enviousness.”

The blond let out a loud laugh at Zoro’s stupidity. Heck, this was the man he loved alright. They were both shitty and the heavens knew that. There were no embarrassing utters of apologies, just their normal spout of insults and mockery, but Sanji knew that things between them had been significantly lighter since their fucked up encounter at the back of the ship.

“You won’t ask me what my business is?” Sanji asked.

Zoro gave a sarcastic snort. “You just told me to mind my own business.”

The blond chuckled and shook his head. “Goddamn right.” Zoro trusted him. He trusted him so much than Sanji would have ever known. “Then let me do this for once.” Zoro raised a questioning eyebrow at the cook, but Sanji only reached out, planting his soft hand beside the swordsman’s face and he felt the muscles on Zoro’s neck and jaw tensed under his touch. The blond stared right through that gray eye, looking for some kind of resistance or even the subtlest hint of rejection, but when the man said nothing, Sanji tipped his head up, pushing back any doubts behind himself and sealed the swordsman's lips with his  It was just a light press of lips, of soft skin against skin, but the blond’s heart was already beating miles away. The blond could feel Zoro’s slightly chapped lips against his own. And when he pulled back just enough to see Zoro’s reaction, the blond saw the swordsman’s widened eye, his mouth slacking a little because of the sudden assault.

For a moment, the blond hesitated, running his thumb gently along the sharp jaw of the swordsman. He didn’t want to be apart from Zoro. He wanted to see with his own eyes when the man achieved his dream. When the man flashed him that stupid mocking grin that said: _See that, Cook? I’m the fucking greatest!_

But fate was too harsh on them. Sanji felt the back of his eyes burn with unwanted tears, but he didn’t let it get the better of him. As his hand slowly left that small piece of glorious tan skin, his fingernails grazing along Zoro’s powerful jaw, Sanji knew that he was really damn in love with the other man. His heart felt like breaking, but he had to be strong. For Zoro, for his child, for his nakama, and for his own dream.

And when the blond’s regretful fingertips were about to leave a space between them, the swordsman immediately clasped the back of the cook’s hand, planting them once again on his cheek. The blond’s lovely blue eye widened. “Zoro?” he called out silently, but he was answered with a hand gripping the side of his neck, tugging him closer, pulling him in until his lips met with the swordsman’s. Sanji’s heart was beating painfully loud right now, and his cheeks flushed a deeper red when he felt Zoro moved against his lips. Sanji let out a choked gasp, but Zoro took this opportunity to make the kiss deeper, angling his head to have better access of the blond’s mouth. Sanji’s knees almost gave up when he felt the man’s soft tongue slide against his. Sanji gripped the fabric on the man’s chest for dear life. He was like a huge lump of burning sensation right now. Zoro was giving him a wet, passionate and deep kiss and the blond let out a low moan when the swordsman’s tongue licked the roof of his mouth.

Everytime he panted for air, the swordsman would just seal the gap away again. Zoro’s skin was warm and had a rich glow against the sun’s dawning light. After a few couple of moments, the swordsman pulled away and inhaled deeply. Sanji could hear his own heart ringing in his ears, his own skin feverish because of the swordsman’s gentle touch and wet kisses. As the blond inhaled, he could smell the salty spray of the ocean against Zoro’s skin. Zoro smelled _wonderful_. He was rich, warm and glorious. His tan skin contrasting against Sanji’s own pale one, the other man’s muscles rippling under his hand, and Zoro’s calloused palm felt wonderful against the back of his hand.

“Don’t go, Cook,” Zoro breathed out as his forehead leaned against the blond’s. Zoro’s thumb caressed Sanji’s neck gently which sent little shivers of pleasure against the blond’s skin.

Sanji chuckled lightly. “What, you gonna miss me, shithead?”

Zoro let out a snort. “Who would miss your annoying ass, shitty cook?”

Sanji laughed gently as he pulled away from the swordsman’s forehead. He looked at Zoro’s gray eye as he pinched the man’s cheek playfully. “Don’t gobble down the sake all by yourself, shitty moss, or else I’ll Sky Walk all the way to the ship just to kick your ungrateful ass.” It was a promise–a promise disguised in a shitty reminder. It was a promise that Sanji would be back someday, to annoy Zoro’s ass to hell again and without another word, the swordsman seemed pleased with that.

“Tch. I’ll drink all the sake in the world just to annoy you, idiot cook,” Zoro retorted with a smug grin.

Sanji laughed and took a step back from the man. “Be the greatest swordsman in the world, and then we’ll talk. The greatest warrior chef must fight with the greatest after all. I wouldn’t settle for less.”

Zoro crossed his arms over his chest with determination. He flashed a grin to the blond which almost made his heart melt and beam with pride at the same time. “Damn right, Curlybrow.”

The blond grinned before he turned around, walking towards his forgotten bag and knife case on the damp sand. As he snatched his belongings from the sand, Sanji stood for a moment to regard the swordsman with a warm smile. “See you around, mosshead.”

The swordsman stood on his feet, his newfound determination augmenting his powerful stance even more, his tan muscled skin bathing conflictingly under the night’s dim shadow and the sun’s warm glow. Zoro flashed him a smile that made Sanji’s heart jump a thousand miles. “Yeah,” Zoro said in that low baritone that Sanji loved so much. “See you around, shitty cook.”

-TBC

 


	10. Forgotten Memories

**Warning: Mature content ahead.**

* * *

 

**Chapter 10: Forgotten Memories**

 

_Sanji adjusted his gaze in the darkness of the crow’s nest, his eyes blinking a few times to outline the shape of his nakama sprawled out on the floor in all his drunken glory. The blond rubbed his right temple as he walked towards the man. Shit, he was dizzy because of that shitty drink from the party._

_“Oi, Marimo.” Sanji nudged the man’s knee, earning him a groan and a light shuffle of clothes. Sanji looked at the three empty barrels of sake near the weights. God, did this bastard finish all of that by himself?_

_The moon outside was hidden behind dark clouds, casting an eerie glow of black and blue inside the room. “Wake up.” The man in question didn’t answer which instantly pushed the blond’s buttons. For fuck’s sake, he was here to change his clothes because that stupid Usopp threw some nasty drink on his favorite pinstripe blue shirt, and not to wake up this marimo’s drunken shitty ass._

_“Oi! I said wake up, you lazy bastard!” Sanji continued to nudge the swordsman’s knee. “You have to guard the ship–” The blond yelped in surprise when his leg was clutched in a vice-like grip, tugging him forcefully, twisting his body until his back hit the floor with a thud which slightly knocked the air out of his lungs. Before he could process what the fuck had just happened, a heavy mass dropped over him, pinning both of his arms beside his head and straddling his hips to keep his body from moving._

_“What the–?” Sanji glared at Zoro, who was staring at him with half-lidded eyes, definitely dead drunk because of those barrels of sake. “Get off me, stupid Marimo, or I’ll kick your ass!” The blond tried to free his wrists from the man’s death grip but truth be told, Zoro had a hell of a lot more brute strength in his upper body than him._

_“So noisy.” Zoro bent forward and promptly claimed Sanji’s lips. The blond froze under the onslaught, his blue eye popping out of its socket, particularly when Zoro started moving his mouth sloppily against the blond’s. Sanji felt his heart beat loudly against his chest, his face heating up as Zoro licked lazily on his lower lip, begging for entrance. When the blond didn’t comply, Zoro deftly pushed Sanji’s hands above his head, trapping them in place with his left hand as his right crawled on the blond’s jaw._

_Sanji was getting dizzier. He didn’t even know if it was because of the alcohol itself or because of the stupid marimo doing these things to him. “F-Fuck, Zoro. Get off–” Speaking was a terrible mistake. For when Sanji opened his mouth, Zoro immediately hooked a finger on his lower teeth, keeping his mouth open, pulling his jaw down, wider, as the swordsman plunged his soft, hot tongue inside that warm cavern._

_With a breathy gasp, Sanji’s head laid flat against the cold floor, losing any sort of energy enabling him to move as the other man rubbed his tongue with his, licking, tasting and ravishing inside, and it robbed Sanji of his every breath. Zoro tasted like sake, the bitter liquid leaving a tang of unpleasant flavor on his tongue. Sanji gasped for breath, turning his lips away from the swordsman as his lungs desperately panted for air. But Zoro’s lonely lips immediately found his neck, leaving small traces of wetness on his burning skin which sent shivers of pleasure down his spine._

_Zoro sucked on the skin between his neck and jaw and the blond arched his body as much as Zoro’s heavy body would allow. His hands above his head were sweating, his fingers growing nervous and impatient as they bent and stretched involuntarily. The swordsman’s right hand found the top button of his shirt, carelessly popping it from its slit, and Zoro only managed up to two buttons when the man let out an annoyed grunt and without a word ripped his shirt up, causing the remaining buttons to yank out from the fabric._

_Oh god. His favorite pinstripe shirt. This fucking bastard!_

_“What the fuck–Ah!” Sanji yelled at the man to reprimand him from ruining his favorite shirt, but he was instantly cut off when Zoro placed a warm tongue on his chest, licking and doing swirly patterns on the soft skin as his thumb gently brushed Sanji’s left nipple. Heat pooled on the blond’s groin, causing his half-awake erection to respond to every single nerve being struck by the swordsman. Zoro’s thumb circled around his pink bud and Sanji thought that he was gonna lose his fucking mind as he buckled up against the man’s chest, releasing a much hated moan from his throat._

_The blond lost any form of resistance. He was being drawn by Zoro’s touches and sloppy kisses. Sanji’s eyes were already drowsy with need when the swordsman released his wrists, pulling away for a moment to get his green robe off. And Sanji almost drooled at the explicit sight in front of him. Zoro’s toned muscled chest was displayed beautifully under the moonlight, his sculpted abs rippling the shadows along every ridge of hard-trained muscles. Sanji bit his lower lip to stifle the moan that was about to come out of his mouth. With unpermitted hands, Zoro found the button of his pants, immediately flicking it out, and Sanji didn’t know what happened next as he just found himself devoid of the black fabric and his underwear, completely ass-naked. Suddenly, he felt painfully bare in front of the swordsman who looked at him with a dark, wanting eye._

_His manhood was already leaking on his abs. Sanji never wanted to be so touched in his entire life until right this very moment. He wanted Zoro. He needed Zoro. The swordsman positioned between the blond’s legs, opening his zipper and taking out his manhood. Sanji groaned at the glorious sight. Zoro was impressive, his head already leaking pre-cum and smearing down the shaft like lube. The man closed his eyes, the alcohol taking the better of him, as he dropped his body down on Sanji, placing his forehead against the other’s chest and the blond screamed in pain as he felt a blunt, hard object intruding his hole._

_“Fuuuuck!” Tears sprung into Sanji’s eyes, his eyebrows knitting tightly together and his mouth hanging open as he arched his back when Zoro entered the first ring of muscle. It fucking hurt! It most_ definitely _and_ absolutely _fucking hurt!_

_But Zoro seemed to be oblivious to his pain as the other man continued to push inside him. Sanji gripped hard on the man’s broad shoulders, his toes curling to withstand the excruciating pain on his backside. Sanji took deep, sharp breaths to calm his heart down. His back ached more than ever before. Fuck, it was fucking painful!_

_Zoro’s cheek was planted on Sanji’s chest, his good right eye closed and eyebrows furrowed. The man was panting softly on his chest, sending warm gushes of air on his skin. “Tight,” Zoro whispered in a strained voice. The bastard was so drunk that he didn’t even have the right mind to prepare Sanji!_

_This fucking brute, Sanji spat poisonously inside his mind._

_After a few moments, the swordsman moved his hip, slowly pulling himself out as Sanji bit on his lip in pain. Sluggishly, Zoro began to thrust forward, earning him a groan from Sanji. The slow pace continued for a while, with Zoro drowsily moving his hips, and the pain on Sanji’s backside was starting to numb down. The blond felt so full. So stretched in his entire life, and it drove him mad. As Zoro planted soft kisses on his neck, the pace started to change–from slow thrusts into rhythmic ones. The blond clawed on the man’s shoulders as pleasure finally tried to set in. Zoro was rubbing his insides, satiating the itch that built up inside Sanji from the moment the swordsman kissed him._

_“Zoro…” Sanji breathed. The man bent forward, planting his right arm beside Sanji’s head and practically drowned him with an open-mouthed kiss. The blond’s slender hands found their way on Zoro’s hair, pulling on the strands as particular thrusts hit his walls sharply. Sanji hooked his legs around the swordsman’s hips, pinning him in place and urging him to go deeper. Zoro grunted against his lips and Sanji almost screamed when the swordsman hooked his left arm under the cook’s right leg, bending the blond further against his own chest, and finding that glorious angle that when a particularly sharp thrust hit that sinful spot inside him, the blond could only cry in pleasure._

_“Ah! Z-Zoro!” Sanji moaned when the marimo hit the blond’s prostate again with his blunt head. The swordsman was panting loudly now, his thrusts becoming more erratic as time went by, leaving Sanji a pile of moaning mess under him. Zoro gyrated his hips, crushing Sanji’s body underneath him and the blond’s vision almost went white at that. Sparks of pleasure were sent through his entire system as the swordsman pounded on his sweet spot._

_“Fuck! Zoro!” Sanji hooked his arms around the man’s neck. His eyes shut tightly as Zoro continued to fill him up with hard, fast and deep thrusts. Sanji had never had sex with anyone. He was a ladies’ man in and out, but he would never talk his lovely ladies into bed, nor had he ever gotten laid by anyone, man or woman alike. So these powerful sensations were completely new to him–a mixture of pain and pleasure that threw his rationality away and just let himself succumb into his guilty needs and wants; those heavy pounds of hot, sweaty flesh grinding against his, rubbing him just perfectly and building up the heat that was painfully pooled inside his cock._

_Zoro’s breaths were heavy beside his cheek, his arms embracing the swordsman’s thick neck for dear life as he was practically ground down against the floor. “Ah! Zoro… Fuck! I’m gonna…” The swordsman hit his sweet spot dead on, pushing it hard inside him that the blond’s toes curled tightly, his body arching from the floor gracefully as he came between their chests. Zoro’s name slipped from his lips and echoed against the walls of the crow’s nest. After a few hard thrusts, Zoro groaned loudly, arching his back slightly and stretching his neck as he felt the bliss of his orgasm inside the cook._

_Zoro’s forehead plopped down on the floor beside the blond’s head. Sanji inhaled deeply to calm himself from his euphoric high. It wasn’t long when Sanji heard stupid snores coming from the bastard who was basically thrown over him. The blond sighed in slight annoyance and struggled to push the heavy man aside, wincing as Zoro pulled out of him. The blond felt so sleepy right now, owing to the influence of alcohol in his system together with the physical and emotional exhaustion that Zoro had just put him through. The blond fumbled on the man’s zipper and had the audacity to zip him up before nakedly dropping beside the swordsman, his head leaning on the man’s biceps for the need of a fucking pillow, fitting himself along the curve of the man’s body and placing a hand over the man’s chest that was now heaving with loud snores._

_Sanji felt so oddly comfortable, and he didn’t have to wait long as his senses started to shut down and finally found peace in his sleep._

* * *

 

Sanji woke up with a startled gasp. His neck and forehead slick with sweat as he felt the gentle rocking of the ship beneath him. The blond looked at the small dainty hand suspended in the air near his right shoulder. He traced it until his eye landed on a familiar girl kneeling beside him, wearing an old tattered gray cloak.

The girl retracted her hand from his shoulder and gripped it with the other. “S-Sorry, Mister. I saw you here in the cargo bay of the ship, and I thought that you looked familiar and I might have seen you somewhere, so…”

“You’re…” Sanji uttered as he sat properly, his back leaning against a wooden cargo box. “You’re the little miss I saved from that awful vendor back in Bartero, right? What are you doing here?”

“Ah!” the girl said happily, thumping her fist on her hand. “You’re the one who saved me! Thank you very much, Mister.” The girl bowed her head to show her gratitude to Sanji.

“Raise your head little miss. A beautiful angel like you shouldn’t bow down to someone like me.”

The girl raised her head and flashed Sanji a friendly smile. “You’re going to _Banaru_?”

The blond nodded. “Yes. Are you?”

The girl nodded as well. “Hm! That’s the island where I live.” Sanji was surprised a bit to hear that this little girl was going to the same island where he was headed to. When Sanji left the Thousand Sunny, he made his way to Dr. Ranport’s shop immediately and asked him for help. The old man would like to help but he was afraid that Sanji might suffer the same fate as his lost son if he remained in Bartero. So the old man told him about this island named ‘Banaru’ which was historically regarded as the twin island of Bartero for having the same land area. The island was ‘simple’ as the old man described it. But the best thing about it was that it was referred to as the “The Virgin Island” for it was untouched by any marine or pirate hand. The island was basically unconquered in its entire history, and that freed slaves and refugees tend to flee to the island.

It was a godforsaken island, so the World Government didn’t show any interest on it.

After five days, Sanji was finally able to board a cargo ship that was taking in passengers who wanted to drop by at Banaru. The old man said that the cargo ship only docked in Bartero once a month to haul goods from the town and that the ship had somewhat turned into a passenger vessel for extra profit since their route was along the coast of Banaru Island.

“Whom do you live with?” Sanji asked the girl.

“With my dad,” she answered. “We have a little bakery in our town, but the bread wasn’t selling well these past few weeks and we’re really running out of supplies so we decided to trade my dad’s pistol for a bag of flour. But the vendor wouldn’t let me trade the pistol for it.”

So that was the reason why the girl was so eager to get that bag of flour from the vendor. She was ready to beg on her knees or to be hit a couple of times by that bastard for the sake of her father and their business. Just remembering how that shitty vendor tried to raise a stick against a little innocent girl like her made Sanji’s blood boil with rage.

“How about you, Mister? Why are you going to Banaru? A few people only drop by in the island–ten at most. But those people only stayed in the town near the shore, but never in ours,” the girl asked as she looked at him with those big green eyes and freckled nose.

“I’m… migrating there. I’m running away from several people.” _From all people_ , Sanji corrected in his mind.

“Really? Will you stay in our town?” the girl asked excitedly.

Sanji laughed at the innocent display. “Well, since you’re the only one I know from that place, little miss, so yeah, maybe I’ll check your town around.”

The girl smiled happily at him. “I’m Sora, by the way.”

“Sanji,” the blond offered politely.

“Sanji-san,” Sora said, smiling. “So that’s why you’re in the cargo bay? You’re hiding?”

The blond laughed lightly. “Yeah. Something like that. It’s been three days. Are we there yet?”

Sora nodded. “Yes. We’ll arrive there by dusk.”

Sanji didn’t have to hide, really. He paid for his travel on this cargo ship. It was just that Sanji didn’t want any unnecessary attention or that people looking at him long enough to recognize that he was a notoriously wanted pirate with a huge bounty on his head.

“Uh, Sanji-san?”

Sanji looked at Sora. “Yeah?”

With a shy look on her eyes, the girl’s cheeks flushed with a light pink color. She was fidgeting on the hem of her tattered cloak as she gave Sanji a shy look. “I’m sorry, if… if I looked inside your mind.”

“What?” Sanji asked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You see. I ate the Memory Devil Fruit, and I can basically see or bring out a person’s memory once I touch him or her.” The girl tucked a few strands of black hair behind her ear. “I wanted to know if I actually saw you in Bartero so when I saw you sleeping here, I touched your shoulder and looked inside your memory, but… I accidentally stumbled on another memory of yours and it actually became your dream. So, I’m so sorry, Sanji-san. I shouldn’t have seen that.” The girl’s cheeks flared a pinker color and Sanji almost kicked himself dead for letting an innocent girl see that memory of his!

“I-It’s okay. Just… forget about it. Okay?” Sanji spoke with a deep, embarrassed blush on his cheeks.

“Okay.” The girl nodded.

So that was the reason why the memory of that _night_ was so vivid–the pain, the pleasure, and the war of emotions. Sora was able to clearly bring out the forgotten details of that night, and they all felt so real that Sanji’s chest ached longingly for the marimo. It had been more than a week, but Sanji couldn’t get Zoro out of his mind, especially when the man kissed him back and actually _begged_ him not to go. Was Zoro feeling the same towards him? Did he love Sanji just like how Sanji loved him?

As his child grew inside him, day by day, his genuine fear of not having the other man beside him as he carried their child was becoming more painful. It just felt so fucking awful that Sanji could cry for years. But he had to be strong. He couldn’t drag the other man down with this mess, not when Zoro was practically killing himself in training and almost sacrificing his own life for the sake of his ambition.

“Sanji-san, are you okay? You’re crying,” Sora said worriedly.

“What?” Sanji blinked, tears in his eyes. “Ah, shit.” He wiped them dry on the fabric of his cloak. Damn shitty hormones. “Sorry about that. I just remembered something.”

Before Sora could ask about it, a loud bell rang outside the cargo bay, probably the one stationed on deck. Sora eyed him carefully before a smile erupted on her lips.

“We’re here.”

 

-TBC

 


	11. "Roronoa"

**Chapter 11: “Roronoa”**

Banaru was a small, tropical island and was divided into two: the East Town and West Town. Sora’s town was in the west, which was the area farther from the shore.

East Town was simple, with nipa huts, coconuts and wooden houses. West Town was smaller, fewer residents and smaller marketplace.

“Is there a post office here, Sora-chan?” Sanji asked as they ventured through the West Town.

Sora shook her head, her black hair bouncing under her cloak. “No one actually wants to receive letters from the people on this island.”

Sanji remembered Dr. Ranport saying that this was a _godforsaken_ island – a place for refugees, former slaves and the like. However, it didn’t look like a gloomy or shady island to Sanji. It was ironically ordinary and _peaceful_.

But how was he supposed to contact his nakama? It was a relief that he had sent a letter to them when he was in Bartero, but he hadn’t managed to say that he wouldn’t be able to send letters for a while. His Nami-san would be so pissed, and the thought of his beautiful angel’s angry and worried face made Sanji flare his nostrils. Maybe he could go to Bartero once in a while to deliver his letters to the post office.

It was a two-hour walk from the shore, through the East Town, then to the West Town. A fifteen-minute more from the marketplace to Sora’s house. She and her father lived in a small two-storey house, with the first floor being the bakery shop. It was built on top of a slope and they had a backyard planted with different vegetables and fruits.

“Dad!” Sora shouted joyfully as she ran towards a man who was around his mid-thirties.

The man who was holding a laundy basket turned his head towards the source of that feminine voice, his eyes instantly lighting up at the sight of her daughter. “Sora!”

The man put down his laundry and hugged Sora tightly. “I miss you. It’s been a month.”

“I miss you, too, Dad!” Sora pulled away a little to look at her father’s face. “I got us a good sack of flour! Big brother here is carrying it!” Sora pointed her finger towards Sanji’s direction, who slightly jolted in place but then smiled and waved briefly at her father.

“You came with him?” asked the man and he saw the hesitation and caution on his face.

Sora nodded her head. “Hm! He’s very kind, Dad! I like him!”

The man looked at Sanji carefully before eyeing at her daughter. “Is he safe?” The question made Sanji’s curly brow raised a little. What did he mean by that?

Sora nodded again with a smile on her lips. “I saw his memory. He’s not in the marines.”

The man sighed quietly, but whether in relief or defeat, Sanji didn’t know. “Thank you, young man. For accompanying my daughter.”

“No, it’s nothing,” Sanji replied politely. “I can’t let a little lady carry this sack of flour. She might get hurt.”

The man smiled at Sanji. “You must be hungry. Will you stay for dinner? I know it’s quite late, but I can make you something.”

Sanji smiled. “I’ll kindly take your generous offer. Thank you.”

The man helped Sanji haul the sack of flour inside the bakery shop. The blond noticed the empty shelves and baskets which should have been filled with warm, freshly-baked bread. There were few, but the lack of aroma and warmth made the place look dull and empty.

They put the sack inside a small storage area. Dusting off his hands, Sanji put his hand inside his pants’ pocket and fished for the all-too-familiar pack of cigarettes but his fingers just retracted disappointedly. “Ah, shit.” He forgot that he left his cigarettes in the ship, as well as his lighter. He didn’t need the temptation, even though he was already aching for a single stick. It had been, what, two weeks? The withdrawal was making his system tremble, but he had to go through that hell if he wanted things to work out. And he would gladly go through that hell for his child.

“I’m Vallo, you?” The man offered his hand to Sanji.

“Sanji,” the blond said as he shook the man’s hand.

“Come with me in the kitchen.” The two man walked towards a small kitchen area. It was plain, but the necessities were there. Sanji took off his cloak, draping it over the back of the wooden chair and settled himself on the seat as Vallo started to throw spices on a boiling casserole. Sanji offered his help but the man told him that he was a guest so he should just feel himself at home.

A moment later, Sora joined the two men, propping herself on the wooden chair beside Sanji. “Dad, can Sanji-san stay here? He has nowhere else to go,” Sora suggested.

“A-Ah, it’s okay, Sora-chan. I’ll find a place to stay for the night,” Sanji declined politely, slightly embarrassed.

“You should stay, Sanji.” Vallo placed two bowls of hot soup in front of Sanji and Sora. He also gave them each a metal spoon and later on laid a platter with three pieces of bread on the wooden table. “I’ve already eaten a while ago. I’m sorry, it’s all we’ve got.”

“No, it’s perfect.” Sanji took a spoonful of the soup. It was simple for Sanji’s taste, not bland but somehow rich in vitamins and minerals.

“As I’ve said, you should stay for the night,” Vallo uttered, looking at Sanji with those green eyes that exactly resembled Sora’s. He had brown hair though, but he could still clearly see the striking resemblance between the two.

“But...” Sanji started, hesitating for a second before Sora spoke.

“It’s okay, Sanji-san! We’ve never had any visitor before, so I’m happy to have you here,” Sora said happily with a bit of soup stain beside her mouth.

“Sora-chan, you have a–” Sanji pointed beside his mouth and Sora seemed to get what he meant because she immediately wiped her mouth at the back of her hand as her cheeks reddened a little. Sanji’s heart mellowed at the sight. He was just too soft on little girls like Sora.

His attention was snapped by a low laughter at the head of the table. “You’re a good guy, Sanji. This is the first time I’ve seen Sora be this close to someone. She must have trusted you very much,” Vallo said smiling, his arms crossed over the wooden table.

“He is, Dad!” Sora agreed, then she began to tell her dad about Sanji’s kindness, when he helped and protected her from the rude vendor in Bartero. The man thanked Sanji for it and the blond just shook his head as he scratched the back of his neck shyly.

“So why are you here, Sanji?” Vallo asked. “Are you running from someone?”

The question caused Sanji to freeze for a few seconds. He was hoping that the question wouldn’t come up, but he guessed that it was an unavoidable subject. He at least owed an explanation to the man and Sora, to repay their genuine kindness to him.

“Uh, yeah, something like that, Vallo-san,” Sanji uttered. Sanji scooped a spoonful of the soup, staring at his blurry reflection on the watery substance. “I’m a pirate.”

Vallo’s mouth gaped a little, his green eyes widening at Sanji’s confession. “But he’s a good one, Dad!” Both men turned their heads towards Sora, who was staring at her dad with pleading eyes. “He’s unlike other pirates! He helped me! And...” Sora dropped her gaze for a moment before she looked directly at Sanji. “Sanji-san is the same as you.”

The man let out a soft gasp as Sanji furrowed his brows in confusion. “What do you mean, Sora-chan?” the blond asked.

Sora’s head bowed down, her hands placed between her thighs as her toes brushed against the wooden floor. “I’m sorry, Sanji-san. But I managed to see your other memories aside from that one,” Sora confessed, pertaining to the embarrassing memory of him and Zoro, and Sanji’s cheeks flushed at the mention of that. “And I... _saw_ your talk with a strange raccoon, so I knew about your condition.”

Sanji froze at the confession. Strange raccoon? Was it Chopper? She saw his conversation with Chopper back in the Sunny about his weird condition?

Sora looked at him apologetically. “I didn’t mean to, Sanji-san. But, you see, I can’t control this Devil Fruit power fully yet. And...” Sora’s eyes met with his father’s. “He’s the same as you, Dad. So I brought him here.”

Sanji flicked his gaze on Vallo who met his eye with an astonished expression. “You mean...” the man started. “You’re... pregnant?”

As if on instinct, the blond put a protective hand over his growing bump. Was it okay to trust these people? His mind and conscience told him ‘yes’ but his condition was very sensitive. If he were to be asked, he would want to keep his condition a secret from the world, but he knew for a fact that someone _had_ to know because he needed help. He couldn’t get through this shit without anyone around him or a doctor for that matter, because he couldn’t actually deliver the child all by _himself_.

Sanji swallowed his hesitation, the tips of his fingers caressing the fabric over his bump, then nodded in shameful confirmation. “Y-Yes. I am.”

Sanji waited for scorn, but he was instead rewarded by a creak of wood against wood. Sanji stared as Vallo went towards the kitchen window and pulled it shut, flopping the curtains down. He took his seat and placed it near Sanji, settling himself on it again and looking at the blond with careful and measuring look.

“How far are you in your pregnancy?” Vallo asked.

“A-About two months and a half,” Sanji answered, feeling unnerved because of the man’s intense stare.

“Did anyone know?” Vallo added.

Sanji shook his head slowly. “No. Just... my crewmates and a doctor from Bartero. But they could be trusted. Other than them, there’s no one else.”

Vallo regarded it thoughtfully before nodding his head. “That’s great,” Vallo said, “You do know that male pregnancy is prohibited in the world, right?” Sanji nodded. “I’m just like you. _I_ was the one who delivered Sora.”

Sanji’s visible blue eye widened. “How... How did you manage to do that?”

Vallo bowed his head down for a moment. “It was a long story. But my father helped me. He was a doctor. He performed a cesarean section to me so I was able to deliver Sora successfully. C-section is the only way of delivery for pregnant males.”

“Doctor?” Sanji thought. It was a wild guess, but something about it bothered Sanji. It was something important that he managed to ask Vallo without hesitation. “Vallo-san, is your father’s name... Ranport?”

Vallo’s eyes widened at the mention of that name. “How...? How did you...?”

Sanji shifted on his seat and looked at the man seriously. “He was the old man who helped me in Bartero. He runs a medical supplies shop in town and he did an ultrasound on me so I was able to see my baby inside my womb.” Sanji blinked a few times, unable to contain his surprise at the sudden reality. “So it’s true? You’re Mr. Ranport’s long-lost son?”

The man’s green eyes turned glassy, his eyebrows wrinkled and his lips quivered. “God,” he muttered, putting a hand over his forehead to catch himself, “He’s alive. My father’s alive.”

“Dad.” Sora slid out of her seat and walked beside her father to put soothing hands on the man’s arm.

“What do you mean, Vallo-san?” asked Sanji.

Vallo wiped the tears from his eyes. “I thought he died, too.” The man swallowed and struggled to bring out words. “A few days after I delivered Sora, a rumor spread around the island about a male carrying a child. As painful as it is, it’s a taboo not only in the island but also in the whole world. Sora, me and my lover managed to escape into a nearby island. We stayed there for a month, with my father visiting us once a week to check on us. We thought that we would be able to live there peacefully, but fate seemed to be so cruel to us.”

Vallo swallowed a lump of emotion that was threatening to surface, making his brows tremble and his heart twist painfully inside his chest. “Black market scouts had located us. My father was there that time and he told the three of us to escape the house and flee to another island. I saw how one hideous man shot my father. He dropped on his knees, bloodied, but still shouting to us to run faster. The three of us managed to get to the shore. Fortunately, there was a cargo ship currently docked on the island so we decided to hide inside some of the cargo’s wooden boxes. As I carried Sora in my arms, my lover lowered the lid on us and flashed me one last smile. He told me how much he loved Sora and me and that he would drew the scouts away. I tried to stop him but he dropped down the lid and ran towards the scouts. Afterwards, I heard gunshots and screams of ‘He’s dead!’ and ‘Find the other two!’ I suppressed the sobs in my throat and put a hand on Sora’s mouth to stifle her cries.”

Vallo put a hand on Sora’s head, kissing her forehead gently as the girl’s eyes blurred with tears. “We were dropped off in another island, but I was able to know about Banaru so we migrated here a month later after that incident.”

Sanji didn’t know what to say. All his words died in his throat at the man’s cruel fate. Would that happen to him as well? Would he ever see his nakama again? Would he ever see _Zoro_ again?

“Stay here, Sanji,” Vallo uttered seriously. “You’re safe here. It’s dangerous out there. If the marines don’t manage to find you, the black market scouts will and they will kill you or either sell you to the nobles and celestial dragons. The latter one is most likely, because a male who is capable of bearing children is a rarity in the world after all. They’ll bid the highest price for you in Sabaody or even in black market bidding houses.”

The very thought of being sold to those bastards angered and scared Sanji at the same time. Being a slave or a fucking sex toy for those assholes put a disgusting shudder in his entire system. He knew the risks of his condition, but he was willing to take them all because he wanted to actually _see_ , _feel_ and _love_ his child. If the world was against him, then it was their problem. He was a fucking _pirate_ , a free man, a child of the sea, so he would do what he wanted.

“Does your lover know about you?”

The question caused Sanji’s train of thoughts to vanish. He looked at Vallo who was staring intently at him. The blond hesitated for a moment because he and Zoro weren’t lovers. It was the alcohol’s fault, as well as his. But there was no point of explaining that complicated story so Sanji just shook his head. “No. He doesn’t know.”

Vallo released a breath that he was holding for a while. “Good.”

Sanji asked, “Why?”

The brown-haired man propped his arm on the wooden table, staring at the old furniture before his hand furled and looked up at Sanji. “It’s better if he doesn’t know. The thing that happened to my lover might happen to him. You see, the partners of pregnant males are hunted down and _killed_. If we are considered as the _curse_ , then our partners are the _plague_. They are blamed for mating with males who have the ‘abnormality.’ They are blamed for spreading the seeds of the sinful mutation in the world.”

Sanji’s hands balled on his thighs. He could feel his anger rising up: towards the block headed fools in the world, about the dire situation he was in, and about the unfairness of it all.

“Not only that, all the people precious to you–your parents, siblings, relatives, friends–they’ll all be hunted down and killed. That’s how the World Government managed to suppress the ideology for years: killing everyone related to the ‘curse.’”

Sanji’s insides trembled at the thought. Of Zeff dying, Patty, Carne, the Baratie, everyone in East Blue, his nakama. It was the World Government. Even though they had declared war against them due to what happened in Enies Lobby, he and his nakama couldn’t possibly protect Sanji’s loved ones at the same time, or perhaps _all_ the time. There would be loopholes, and those could cause them their lives. The crew was facing a more important situation right now than Sanji’s predicament. They were in the brink of a war with one of the yonkō. The Sanji couldn’t afford to ask his nakama to turn back in East Blue and let Sanji protect the Baratie.

It was better for Sanji to ‘vanish’–to lie low until everything was stable. Until he managed to deliver his child safely.

“What pirate ship are you in?” Vallo asked.

“The Strawhat Pirates.”

Vallo’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. “That notorious pirate crew that caused a havoc in Enies Lobby, and the one who took down Doflamingo?”

Sanji’s chest beamed with a sense of pride because of that. “Yeah. That’s us.”

Vallo sighed in defeat. “Is your lover from your crew?” Sanji nodded hesitatingly then the man regarded his answer for a moment. “Then it’s best if you don’t use both of your surnames for your child. The kid would be in danger if the marines and the scouts traced your child’s origin.”

Sanji was taken aback because of that. He couldn’t even give a surname to his child? What the fuck was that? There was only much that Sanji could take, and this one, this was another story. He wouldn’t deprive his child this right. Not ever.

“I understand, Vallo-san,” Sanji spoke as he stared at Vallo with determined eyes, “But I already made so many selfish decisions when I disembarked from our ship. I asked my crew to keep this secret from my... lover. And the least I could do is to give him somehow a ‘say’ in our child’s name. I’ll constantly remind our kid not to blab about his surname to other people so it would be alright.”

Vallo’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean, Sanji?” he asked.

Sanji inhaled deeply, his heart welling up with fortitude and pride at the greatness of that _man_ and all of the great things that the man would’ve accomplished in the future. Sanji’s blue eye carefully settled on Vallo, locking their gazes firmly as a smile crossed his lips.

“My child will be a _Roronoa_.”

* * *

Zoro laid lazily on Sunny’s deck, his left arm tucked behind his head and his eyes staring at the golden material inside his right palm. He flicked the lid, opening and closing it playfully several times, listening as the metal lid clanked softly in every flick of his hand.

The crew was on their way to the island that Law had set as their meeting place. They needed to plan things about the imminent war with Kaido. Things would get really tough soon, so Zoro had to reserve every ounce of his strength.

But instead of meditating or swinging his weights in the crow’s nest, Zoro felt oddly lazy today. He just wanted to lounge around the ship and do nothing.

It was _boring_. No noisy, perverted cook around to annoy or to spar with.

Zoro’s hand stopped playing with the thing, the metal lid shutting close in response. It was roughly a week ago when the cook’s first letter arrived from a messenger bird. The cook just told them that he was doing fine in Bartero and that he was doing great in his ‘business.’ Aside from that, there was no other mention of the crew’s name aside from Nami and Robin’s. Zoro just rolled his eyes at that.

A moment of silence passed and Zoro just quietly eyed the golden metal in his hand. His thumb brushed over the small nicks on the metal as his mind drifted to the moment when he and the cook shared a kiss in Bartero. He was shocked as hell when Sanji leaned forward and gave him a light peck on the lips. But he was more surprised at himself for throwing himself like that at the cook and somehow “begged” him not to go. His body just moved on its own accord, goddammit. And before he knew what he was doing, he was already in the confines of the small space that he and the cook had shared, lowering his pride and guard around the other man and coaxing him to stay like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He didn’t know what happened. Because that time, the only thing that he thought about was the need to keep the other man close and the fear of not seeing him for a long time.

“Fuck.” Zoro jerked his body up and rubbed a hand down his face. Did he just admit to himself that he wanted the cook close to him? _Him_ of all people? What the hell did that kiss even mean? “That bastard,” he muttered irritatedly as a frown settled on his face.

“Missing Sanji-kun?”

Zoro huffed and threw a glare at the worst possible person to see him in his frustrated state. “Shut up, witch.”

Nami chuckled at his despair and put a hand on her hip. “Did you know that you kept playing and staring dreamily at Sanji-kun’s lighter ever since we left Bartero?”

Zoro’s cheeks heated up but he instantly disguised it with anger. “I’m just thinking about how that stupid bastard clumsily left his lighter on the ship. He must be pissed and dying right now.” Zoro smirked at the wonderful thought of the cook throwing tantrums because he had forgotten his favorite lighter and couldn’t smoke. It was an amusing picture – totally frame-worthy.

Nami rolled her eyes at the swordsman. “Yeah. Yeah. Deny it all you want.”

“I’m not denying anything!” Zoro growled at the navigator.

Nami heaved a defeated sigh and rummaged on the cleavage of her boobs, after a while pulling out an eternal pose and flipping it to Zoro. The swordsman caught it expertly as he raised an eyebrow to the device in his hand.

Nami shifted her hips to the side and smirked at Zoro victoriously. “That’s an eternal pose to Bartero Island that I managed to get in town, and that–” Nami pointed on the piece of paper tucked between the wooden post and round glass, “–is Sanji-kun’s vivre card. So we can always come back for him anytime.”

Zoro stared at the two things in his hand. He felt a weird warmth inside his chest–like a waterfall of relief and petition to turn the ship around.

“Now, now, Mr. Swordsman. Don’t be so happy. That grin on your face is actually creepy,” Nami teased as she laughed at Zoro’s reaction.

The swordsman was startled at the declaration and immediately denied her words. “I’m not happy! Tch. The hell I care about that bastard cook.”

Nami waved her hand dismissively as she turned her back on Zoro. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Such a stubborn blockhead.”

“What?!” Zoro shouted at her but the navigator just walked away casually and went to Franky, who was at the wheel, to check on their route.

Zoro took the piece of paper, unfolding it and staring at the name ‘Sanji’ inked on the material. He put the eternal pose down beside him and placed the paper on his right palm. He stared as the paper shakily moved backward towards the heel of his palm, towards where that bastard cook was right now.

“Stupid cook. I’ll kick your ass when I see you again.” Zoro furled his hand on the piece of paper, keeping it safe in the confines of his calloused, rough fingers. He would definitely come see the cook again. In one way or another.

“Land ho!”

The crew was alerted by a loud shout coming from Usopp. The Strawhats immediately gathered on deck, standing beside Franky on the wheel, as they all looked at the shadow of an island near the thin line of the horizon.

“Here we are,” the navigator said.

“Ya-hoo!” Luffy jumped on Sunny’s head, his arms stretched above his head and his lips splitting into an excited, dopey grin. “Sunny! Full thrust!”

“Aye!” Franky shouted with a grin, and the whole ship rocked as water pedals appeared on both sides of the Sunny, cutting the waves and pushing the ship forward. The crew braced on the railings for their lives, with Usopp, Nami and Chopper wailing with the sound of the splashing ocean around them.

“We’re gonna die!” Nami cried.

“We’re gonna hit the island!” Usopp shouted mournfully as his arms and legs embraced the railings tightly.

“Shi-shi-shi!” Luffy laughed, his left hand holding his straw hat in place, protecting it against the wind, as his right hand raised proudly in the air.

“Let’s go, everyone!”

 

**- _timeskip -_**

 

 

* * *

 

 **Note:** Yes, there will be a timeskip! :) I don't know how things can fit in Nami's cleavage, it's just so weird that her Clima Tact can actually fit in there. Anyway, thank you for reading!

P.S. If you want a very angsty ZoSan AU one-shot, you can check out my work entitled  **["When We Fell In Love At the Wrong Side of Time"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11618160)** which was inspired by the on-going work of  **darksinokaru**. :)


	12. A Gaze Worth A Million Words

**There's an ART at the end! Finish the chapter first before looking at the photo. :)**

* * *

 

**Chapter 12: A Gaze Worth A Million Words**

 

“Sanji! I need five more trays of croissants!”

“Coming right up!” The blond wore his pot holders and opened the large oven placed against the wall of the small baking area, intoxicating his nostrils with the rich aroma of freshly-baked bread. He took five trays and immediately handed them to Vallo through the rectangular opening on the opposite wall.

“You wanna catch a break first? I can handle the rest,” Vallo offered, his body bent low to eye Sanji through the opening.

The blond nodded his head. “Yeah, I think I could use a stick.”

With a nod, Vallo took the trays and put the crescent-shaped rolls in the bread baskets. The bakery shop had become considerably busy dating a few years back when Sanji decided to help Vallo and Sora with their business. He came up with different ideas and types of bread to attract customers. Sanji was unsure at first because he was a culinary chef, not a pastry one, but Vallo said that his products were _heavenly_ and instantly put them in the shelves.

His bread became a hit though, magnetizing customers in West Town and even from the farthest corner of East Town. Some travelled from the neighboring town just to buy his masterpiece. With a sense of pride, Sanji dusted off the flour from his apron before taking it off. After the blond went out through the backdoor, he snatched a stick from his pack of cigarettes inside his pants. Sanji flicked his lighter and the flame met the mouth of his cigarette.

Sanji inhaled a lungful, feeling the drag of smoke coursing through his veins and ending up as thick swirls in the air. Whenever his mind drifted to those nine painful months of abstinence, he could only pat his shoulder for the fucking job well done. God, he felt that it was like nine months of _starvation_. His fingers fidgeted on any material that was rod-like, wishing for a second that it was a stick of cigarette.

Sanji stared up at the afternoon sky, the sunlight slightly blinding his vision but the blues were so comforting, relaxing even. “Been almost four years, huh?” he spoke mindlessly and took another drag of his cigarette.

He wondered how his nakama were. He had a full drawer of old newspaper clippings about his nakama’s adventures–the tales of bravery, defiance against the marines, conflicts with other pirate groups and the big war with Kaido. It had been ten months since he had last written to the crew and five months since their last letter to him. The post office in Bartero shut down because of reasons that Sanji wouldn’t want to know for he could kick the asses of the perpetrators.

He was thinking of going to another island with an operational post office just to send his letters – which had been quite piled up in his table drawer – but he couldn’t actually go anywhere outside this island. He was _hiding_ , sort of. Not that much compared to the time when he was pregnant, but he was still a pirate. A notorious one at that.

That was the very reason why he couldn’t establish his own restaurant in this island. If he was lucky enough and his business got popular, without his crew, he didn’t know if he could handle a few warships of marines. He could kick their asses, of course. But he had other people to worry about now. Being the pastry chef of Vallo’s bakery was good enough. He was able to make a living, bring happiness to his customers and retain his inconspicuous existence. It wasn’t a bad call at all.

A few newspaper articles covered “Black Leg Sanji’s Disappearance” in the Strawhat crew. Some stated that he was dead, caught a rare illness, or even other stupid speculations that would make the blond laugh in hysteria. But the end point was that he had “disappeared.” And that many people thought that he was dead except for his nakama, Vallo and Sora.

He hadn’t had any news about the crew for the past five months. Maybe, they were lying low? Planning for their next attack with Law? The war with Kaido dragged on for a few years and Sanji didn’t have any idea what happened to the crew or if they had already defeated the monstrous beast. He was so goddamn worried.

Sanji shifted in his feet, a few locks of golden hair dropping across the bridge of his nose and his long lashes fluttering at the smoke from his cigarette. Sanji examined the soft tips of his tresses with his thumb and forefinger. He needed to have a haircut. His blonds were already starting to curl around his jaw and neck. His bangs were also longer and he was beginning to grow freaking stubble.

He shaved his mustache and goatee. He wanted to have a ‘clean look’ and there were actually no beautiful and sexy women around to impress so he went along with the idea. The West Town was composed mainly of the elderly and middle-aged or young men. The town had been kind of progressive in the past years, but it was still less developed if compared to the one in the east.

Sanji drew lazy circles on the coarse soil with his foot as he finished his cigarette. The point of his shoe uprooted a tiny bunch of grass which made Sanji chuckle a little. The grass was green, just like the head of someone he knew. Suddenly, that numbing sensation crawled inside his chest again. He stared longingly at the poor grass with half-lidded eyes.

Was the marimo okay? How was he? A newspaper article talked about his encounter with one of Kaido’s men, with the guy named ‘Jack.’ The freaking guy was a _huge_ mammoth – a rare type of Zoan ability user. Sanji was fucking worried about the events of the fight. He was positive that Zoro wouldn’t lose, he trusted the bastard that much, but he always had this tinge of fear inside him, of Zoro losing and dying without Sanji by his side to yell at him, kick his ass for being a loser, revive him from the dead just so he could kick his ass again.

He didn’t know what happened after that because the news about the crew had been scarce, or _none_ for that matter. Sanji could swear that he could crack a mountain because of frustration.

“Sanji?”

The blond looked at the brown-haired man standing on the doorway. “Sorry. I need some help. There are ten additional people who are inside the shop now and they’ve been bugging me about your special cheese roll. Can you make them?” Vallo said with an irritated sigh.

Sanji laughed. “Sure. I’ve got enough supplies for two more trays.”

Vallo smiled apologetically, but Sanji just assured the man it was okay. Willingly, the blond killed the butt of his cigarette under his sole and followed the man inside the baking area.

* * *

The port of the island was packed with cargo ships and mercenary vessels. Conversations about tobacco, china, crops, prices and probably a bunch of illicit goods aired around the port area and in the marketplace.

His head roamed around the place, noticing that it hadn’t significantly changed since the last time he had visited here. Stone still ran everywhere and making up the majority of the island–the roads, stalls, buildings, commercial centers and even residential houses.

“Oi, Zoro. Do you think he’s still here? I mean, what if he went to another island?

It was possible. But Zoro didn't have a choice. Their trump card was only an eternal pose to this island because he lost that fucking vivre card in a fight! He kept that piece of paper close to him every time and he was actually regretting that he hadn't listened to their navigator's advice of leaving the paper in their ship. Well, fuck. He would find _him_ no matter what anyway. So no shit.

The green-haired man continued to walk nonchalantly. He propped his right arm on the hilt of his three swords dangling beside his hip, tucked under the comfort of his black waistband. He turned around a corner, the popped collar of his long black coat brushing along his jaw due to the motion. His dark boots thudded along wet stone floors as he ascended towards the deeper part of the district.

“Oh come on!” His companion heaved a defeated sigh and blocked his way, arms spanning to both sides of his body. “Where are you going?”

“Shut up, Usopp. I’m going to have a drink,” the swordsman spoke with a frown.

The sharpshooter scratched his head. “The bars are _that_ way!” His finger pointed on the road that they were traversing earlier. “We are walking _along_ the bar district! How can you miss that?”

Zoro’s eyebrows twitched, a faint blush of embarrassment tainting both of his cheeks. “Shut up! It’s not my fault that this place is so confusing!”

“The bar district is a _straight_ line!” Usopp exclaimed in disbelief. He sighed and shook his head, massaging his temple as his mind tried to comprehend the stupidity of his nakama. “You know what? I can’t believe that I’m still fussing about your terrible sense of direction after all these years. You’re right. Let’s have a drink. The bar is actually a good place for gossips and good information. We might find something useful there.”

Zoro crossed his arms over his chest and grunted as he followed the long-nosed guy. He didn’t get lost! It was this place’s fault! Why did it have to have so many corners and alleys? Zoro was perfectly fine with his sense of direction.

The two passed a few bars and gambling houses. The sharpshooter kept a close distance to him which made Zoro huff a bit. He wasn’t a fucking kid!

“Okay. Let’s go here.” Usopp ducked under a heavy mantle with gold and silver design. Zoro did as well and tracked Usopp inside the bar, walking down a few flight of wooden stairs. The two entered the swing door and were greeted with loud snickers and bashing of beer mugs. This was a pirate bar, like the one Zoro had visited a few years ago.

The two men settled down on the bar counter. With a practiced voice, Usopp beckoned for the bartender and immediately ordered two mugs of beer for the both of them. The bulky bald guy grunted in approval, popping up a new barrel and filling their mugs. After a while, the bartender shoved them their order but when he was about to leave, Usopp spoke.

“Hey, man,” Usopp said confidently with a grin on his face but Zoro knew that the long-nose was trembling his shit right now. “Do you know a guy named ‘Sanji’?”

The man cocked his eyebrow at the sharpshooter and Zoro could swear that he just saw a drop of sweat gliding down his nakama’s neck. “You here for information?” the bald man asked. But when Usopp nodded, the man exploded in his fits of laughter which made Usopp tremble a bit more and Zoro frown in annoyance.

The bartender wiped a tear under his eye. “You think that’s free, kiddo? What’cha got there so my tongue will be ol’-goodie to ‘ya?”

Zoro’s hand gripped the hilt of his Wado slowly but Usopp immediately stopped him with a hand, clasping his wrist under the bar counter. “We got a thousand berries. For some sweet sake for your tongue, ‘ya know what I’m saying?” Usopp smiled at the man, and Zoro was almost amazed of his skills if it weren’t for his trembling hand on his wrist. Seeing that his nakama would handle the situation better than him, he took his beer mug on the counter and chugged the bitter liquid down his throat.

With an amused cock of an eyebrow, the man leaned down his beefy tattooed arm on the bar counter, supporting the heavy weight of his body. “What’cha wanna know, kid?”

The sharpshooter seemed to relax at that and retracted his hand from Zoro’s wrist. Usopp scooted closer on the counter, clasping his hands on top of the wood and eyeing the man seriously. “Like I’ve said, you know a man named ‘Sanji’?”

“The missing Strawhat pirate?” the bald man asked as Usopp nodded. “I know the name, but he wasn’t around in the island. However, a few of my good tippers said that they saw a blond man with a curly brow on the neighboring island a few months ago.”

Usopp felt Zoro tensed beside him. He glanced at the green-haired man for a bit and saw a solemn look on his face, his beer halfway done and forgotten on the counter. He turned to the bald man to ask, “What’s the name of the island?”

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Those good tipper bastards are working in this cargo ship that goes here once a month before. But recently, there’s another passenger vessel that comes to the island and the neighboring ones to haul passengers, so their sideline business wasn’t going well anymore–”

“Just tell the fucking island’s name.”

The bartender’s eyes landed on the man beside Usopp. Zoro was looking so deadly serious with that glare on his eye. Usopp almost buckled in anxiety at Zoro’s harsh attitude. The bald man regarded his presence for a moment, locking gazes with the swordsman who was crossing his arms over his chest and foot tapping the floorboards impatiently.

“’Yar quite impatient there, kid,” the bartender spoke with a menacing grin.

Zoro’s eyebrows knotted tighter and he opened his mouth to say something but Usopp immediately cut him off. “Sorry, man!” He laughed nervously. “My friend’s rude, you see. He’s always like this.”

"Ah?!" Zoro said irritatedly but Usopp shot him a pointed look saying: _Please shut up for a moment and let me handle this so we're out of trouble._

Reading the atmosphere well, Zoro just grunted and rolled his eye, which caused Usopp to sigh internally with relief. “So,” Usopp started. “What’s the name of the island?”

The bulky bald man stared at him intently, and Usopp felt his neck dampening with sweat. However, he remained that interested face in front of the man. With a sigh, the bald man bowed his head down towards Usopp. “The name’s Banaru. But I’m telling ‘ya, kid. Don’t do something stupid. There’s been a disturbance in the black market a few days now. ‘Ya don’t wanna get tangled with anything dangerous, yeah?”

Usopp swallowed anxiously at the man’s words. “Y-Yeah. Thanks for the tip.” Usopp dropped a thousand berries on the bar counter and promptly held Zoro’s arm to drag him out of the place.

“Oi! Let me go, idiot!” Zoro pulled his arm harshly from the sharpshooter’s hand when they were already outside the bar. “What’s wrong with you?”

Usopp started to look around with panic reflected on his face. “I’m getting my chronic illness of ‘Let’s-get-out-of-this-island Disease.’”

Zoro rolled his eye heavenward at his nakama’s stupidity. “You’ve been facing Kaido’s crew for a few years now and you’re scared of a bunch of jackass-wannabes?”

“That’s not the point! Ugh!” Usopp turned his back to Zoro and messed his hair with both hands. “I don’t get why you, Luffy and Sanji are able to remain calm in situations like this,” he mumbled, and after his fit, he turned around to look at Zoro who was standing behind him with a deadpan expression on his face. Once again, the sharpshooter sighed. “Let’s go to the port and catch a passenger vessel towards this ‘Banaru Island’ the man’s talking about.”

Usopp flipped his body and took a step forward. However, he stumbled at the obstruction in his path and he almost wrestled it down to the ground. “Whoa!” Usopp exclaimed shockingly as his hands steadied the little kid’s shoulders. “Are you alright–”

A moment of silence dawned on the sharpshooter. Zoro shuffled on his feet impatiently as he watched his nakama frozen in his spot, looking down at god-knows-what. “Oi, Usopp.” The swordsman placed his hand on top of the hilt of his swords and sauntered towards his companion. “What are you doing?”

Zoro’s good eye landed on the small cloaked figure in front of Usopp. The little kid’s wide eyes were staring at his nakama’s face, his small mouth hanging open innocently. And for a second, Zoro found himself lost in a daze just like his nakama.

He tried to perceive the kid’s features, those deep blue eyes and those remarkably asymmetrical eyebrows curling to one direction. Zoro’s heart thundered in his chest, and a certain emotion rose inside him like lava. No, it couldn’t be. The boy had _green_ hair. The one he knew with a stupid face like that was an annoying _blond_. Maybe there were other people with those weird genes. Maybe the cook wasn’t the only one…

“What’s your… name, kid?” Usopp asked in strained and silent voice. Shock was written all over his face. And Zoro was quite sure that he was mirroring the sharpshooter’s expression right now.

The kid stared at him for a moment before opening his mouth wider to speak. “ _Kaitarou_ …”

His wide blue eyes landed on Zoro and the swordsman almost jolted in place because of that gaze. The other kids were afraid of him because of his natural scowl, but this kid’s different. He wasn’t about to flee, he was looking at him like he had seen Zoro before and had been familiar with him for a long time.

The swordsman felt a pool of emotion inside his chest, like a _magnet_ that was strangely pulling the child towards him. His palms moistened with sweat and his throat constricted. And when the kid spoke again with that soft little voice, Zoro felt his whole world banged on his feet and every bit of his rationality blown away.

“Name…” the child said softly as he held Zoro’s gray eye. “ _Roronoa Kaitarou_.”

-TBC

 

* * *

**Art by me. :D**


	13. Warmth

**There's an ART at the end! Finish the chapter first before looking at the photo. :)**

* * *

  

**Chapter 13: Warmth**

 

Perhaps the last ridiculous thing that Zoro heard was way back in Dressrosa. When that humongous Devil Fruit user named ‘Pica’ was towering one-third of the island with that huge body of his then suddenly addressing Luffy with a ludicrous, high-pitched voice that was a fucking contradiction to his massive built.

That was the last time, until _this_ happened.

There was a little kid in front of him, unworldly claiming to be a “Roronoa” with those curly brows and big blue eyes and looking like the spitting image of that bastard love-cook. But what puzzled Zoro was the unruly _green hair_. Where the heck did this brat get that? Not that he was the only one with that hair color — which had always been the subject of mockery for that shitty cook — but this visual aspect of his was rare. Remembering it, Camie and Bartolomeo were the only ones he knew with green hair besides him.

“Wha…” Usopp stared wide-eyed at the kid, his lips quivering in great shock as his hands trembled on the kid’s shoulders. “You’re… you’re his…”

“Kaitarou!”

A hooded figure emerged in the two pirates’ vision, causing them to lift their heads up to the source of that voice. A worried young teenage girl clasped the kid’s face between her hands, turning him around and staring at his blue eyes distressfully.

“Are you okay?” The girl wiped the sweat between the kid’s eyebrows. “I told you to stay beside me while me and Dan-san buy the flour! You always get lost! How did you end up in the bar district?”

The teenager tipped her chin up to meet the questioning gazes of the two men. Politely, she bowed her head to utter an apology. “I’m sorry for any trouble.”

Feigning composure, Usopp seemed to find his tongue as he tried to speak. “It’s… it’s okay. But…” Usopp glanced back at the little kid who was still staring up at Zoro. “This kid said he’s a ‘Roronoa.’ And I may perchance know someone with that surname.”

The teenager paled at Usopp’s statement, a drop of sweat trickling down the side of her face. “I… we…” The girl tried to reason out but her attention shifted back to the little kid beside him. “We need to get back. Sorry.”

Gripping the kid’s wrist, the teenager tried to drag the boy away. Usopp was alarmed and he knew that if the two got away now, they would be missing something very _important_ and after all these years, he just wouldn’t let that thing slip between his fingers. Usopp took a step forward, reaching out his hand for the kid but all motion stopped when they heard the kid’s subtle voice.

“Daddy.”

The kid pointed his little finger on Zoro’s direction, triggering a jolt of surprise from the swordsman. “Daddy.”

Kaitarou pulled his wrist from the girl’s grip who called after him. He ran towards Zoro, crumpling the black fabric of the swordsman’s coat and looking up at him with big round eyes and a smile on his lips. “Daddy!”

The swordsman gasped in surprise and stumbled back a step. “Whoa, wait, kid.”

“Kaitarou! What are you doing?” The teenager tried to snatch him back but Kaitarou ran behind the swordsman, hiding himself from the girl and clutching Zoro’s coat tightly. “We have to go home. Your Papa’s waiting.”

Zoro felt the kid shook his head against the fabric. “No! Daddy’s here!”

The girl swallowed, tipping his head up to meet Zoro’s grey eye. A moment of hesitation and confusion seemed to flash across her face, but after picking herself up and once again standing with calmness, she spoke up. “Are you… _Roronoa Zoro_?”

With a frown pulling his face, Zoro glared at the girl. “I am.”

“I’m Sora,” the girl said. “You’re looking for Sanji-san?”

“Wait. You know Sanji?” Usopp asked. When the girl nodded, Usopp’s breath hitched and mumbled something like ‘So it’s true.’

Sora took a step closer to Zoro, who promptly stood tall with a defensive aura when the girl attempted to touch him. “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything bad,” she assured the pirate. “I have an ability to see if you’re lying. So if you want to see Sanji-san, then let me do this.”

Zoro narrowed his eye at Sora, searching for any hint of menace but her green eyes stared at him raptly, almost too unyielding for Zoro’s comfort. “Fine.”

Sora placed a hand on Zoro’s shoulder and shut her lids down. After a few seconds, Sora opened her eyes and took a step back as he looked at Zoro, but this time, there was a faint smile tainting her lips.

“I believe you,” she uttered. “I don’t know if Sanji-san will be thrilled to see you, but—” Sora glanced at Kaitarou for a second then back at Zoro, “I think almost four years is enough.”

Zoro furrowed his brows in confusion, but before he could manage a single sentence, a man appeared before them. He was pulling a cart filled with bags of flour. With a sigh, the man talked to Sora and eyed the two pirates suspiciously.

“It’s alright, Dan-san. They’re Sanji-san’s friends.” the girl explained.

The man’s face seemed to brighten up at that and his tensed demeanor diminished into something warm and friendly. “I’m sorry for my rudeness. I’m Dan. Sanji’s co-worker.” offered the man.

“Usopp,” the sharpshooter said with a smile and pointed his thumb at Zoro. “And this grouchy man is Zoro.”

Normally, the swordsman would snap at that, but Zoro continued to eye the man. He had tousled dark hair, tan complexion that was a few shades lighter than Zoro’s, high cheekbones and slightly thick eyebrows. He wasn’t as muscular as him, but he was considerably lean and firm.

“Kaitarou?” Dan reached out his hand to the kid. “Come here. Let’s go back.”

Kaitarou shook his head once again and Zoro was getting uncomfortable with the kid clutching his coat like that behind him for he might tear the fabric up. Weirdly enough, he didn’t feel compelled to scare the kid away. He didn’t mind him being there, which was strange because he had never been good with kids. But what bothered him the most was the kid calling him ‘Daddy.’ But he didn’t voice out his resistance. Zoro was queerly drawn to this kid and it was somehow frustrating how his self abdicated to the idea.

“It’s fine, Dan-san,” Sora assured with a gentle tug on the man’s sleeve. “Let’s go to the port.”

“I’ll help you pull the cart,” Usopp volunteered and the man gladly took his generous offer.

Seeing that his companions already started to move, Zoro glanced back at the short fry hiding behind him. “Hey, kid. We need to move.”

Kaitarou peeked above through the fabric, his wide blue eyes flapping at Zoro and hands balled on the thick textile. In response to the swordsman’s beckoning words, the kid trotted closely beside him, waiting for Zoro to move. With a sigh, the swordsman propped his arm on his swords comfortably and trod across the stone floor.

After walking through a few blocks, Zoro watched the kid beside him through his peripheral vision. Kaitarou was keeping up with his space, struggling on his steps to match Zoro’s long strides. The kid was slightly sweating and panting quietly, but there were no utters of complaint or disgruntled noises, just silent breaths and light footfalls. As if on instinct, Zoro found his boots faltering on the cold stone floor, decelerating his steps until the little kid could catch his breath and walk comfortably beside him.

After a few steps, Zoro felt a gentle pull of fabric beside him. Curiously looking down to his right, he saw the kid gripping his coat as he strode alongside the swordsman. Kaitarou lifted his head up to lock eyes with Zoro. The kid flashed him a wide smile, his eyes shutting and wrinkling lightly along the corners.

Zoro felt unusually light headed at the sight, and he disguised that fluttery feeling inside his chest with a cough.

Shit. The little kid really looked like that idiotic cook.

* * *

“This passenger vessel is faster than the one before,” Sora explained. “So we’ll arrive at Banaru Island in two days time.”

They paid for two cabin rooms: Zoro and Usopp occupying the first, while Dan, Sora and Kaitarou sharing the second one. The little kid insisted to bunk with the two pirates, but after Sora had a solemn talk with him, a conversation full of whispers and pouts from the kid, Kaitarou finally nodded.

“Sora.”

The girl looked back at Usopp, her feet halting from descending the stairs leading to the cabin rooms. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he said.

Dan glanced at the teenager for a while, like searching for any indication that the girl wanted him there, but the girl just smiled, turned towards Usopp, and nodded upon his request. “Of course.”

The two walked towards the stern, feeling the wind on their faces and the gentle lull of the waters. Usopp leaned his arm on the railing as he looked at Sora with questioning eyes. “Kaitarou is…” he trailed for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek as he chewed on the words. “Sanji’s son. Right?”

Sora closed on the wooden railing. Placing a hand on the sturdy timber, she looked at Usopp with a gentle smile tugging the corners of her pink lips. “Yes. He is.”

As if on cue, Usopp released the breath he didn’t know he was holding as he waited for Sora to answer. The sharpshooter bowed his head on his hand. He felt a headache coming because of the suddenness of things. He tried to comprehend the situation, but the circumstance was so genuine that it was almost surreal.

He met with Sanji’s son – the unborn child inside the womb of his nakama almost four years ago. When Sanji told them he was pregnant, he thought that his nakama was going mad or had probably inhaled opium from the black market in Bartero. But meeting with his child finally after all these years, exchanging stares with the little kid whose face looked exactly like Sanji while his hair was the ridiculous shade of green and so much Zoro-like, he didn’t really know what to feel.

 _Zoro_. The guy must be shocked in his shits right now – seeing a little kid out of nowhere with Sanji's exact features but sporting Zoro's green hair and innocently claiming that he was a 'Roronoa.' Usopp couldn’t blame him because the crew never said anything as promised. Just a few sinuous questions and remarks by Robin, Nami and Chopper, like what would Zoro feel if he had a child, or what would Zoro’s child look like? The swordsman had never taken any of that seriously to their relief.

There was always that _itch_ behind the crew’s tongues, dreading to slip the magic word everytime around Zoro, but they held on to their promise to Sanji. If there was anyone to break the news to their swordsman, then the right person would be their cook. The matter involved the two of them anyway, and the crew was just there to support them.

“Sanji-san misses his nakama.”

Usopp lifted his eyes to Sora, who was watching the white trails of their vessel along the blue ocean with pensive eyes. “He has a full drawer of newspaper clippings about you guys. He continued to adventure with you, even though he wasn’t tangibly there to fight with you. But he still tried to keep himself updated on your voyage, especially on how things are going with Kaido. He was gravely worried.”

Usopp felt a painful pinch in his heart. His thick brows pulled down as unshed tears stung behind his eyes. God, he missed Sanji so bad. He missed his cooking, his stupid declarations of love for any woman he saw, his grouchy attitude for men, his exchange of insults with Zoro, and his strong kicks which protected the crew from the moment he boarded Going Merry as well in his embarkation on the Thousand Sunny.

And knowing that his nakama still continued to pray for their safety and travel along with them through partially dilapidated papers made his chest crawl with longing and sadness.

“He tried to write to Zoro-san you know,” Sora declared, earning a tearful gaze from Usopp. “I always saw him writing your letters on the kitchen table. But whenever he wrote the word ‘Zoro’ on the blank paper, the quill in his hand would always stop moving and he would start staring at the paper and blotches of ink for a long time. He was unsure what to say, or if he should say it at all. He wanted to say the truth, especially the day after Kaitarou’s birth. He wanted Zoro-san to know, that their son is alive and healthy. He tried to write to him so many times. But he held back.”

It was all Usopp needed for his tears to shed, smearing down his cheeks and mixing up with the snot that he desperately tried to _sniff. The sharpshooter cried on his forearm like a kid, saying utterances like “I miss Sanji,” “I want to see him,” “I hope he’s okay,”_ and _“I will definitely make him cook for me.”_

Sora smiled at the affectionate display. _Sanji-san really has good friends,_ she thought to herself.

Sora stared at her feet for a moment before glancing back at the deep blue sea. “Sanji-san kept your bounty posters. He tells Kaitarou about your adventures, about that mysterious sky island, Alabasta, that enchanting merman island, and so much more. It became his bedtime stories actually. And Sanji-san brags to his son about being a pirate, about being a free man of the sea, and Kaitarou would only look at him with sparkling eyes. Sanji-san showed him Zoro-san’s wanted poster. He told him that he’s his father and that Sanji-san’s condition is exceptionally unusual that was why he was able to conceive him. Kaitarou is a smart kid, Usopp-san.”

The girl added with a smile, “I think that’s the reason why he was able to tell that Zoro-san is his father. That kid is always staring at his wanted poster after all.”

* * *

Zoro sat with his legs crossed on the wooden floor between the two beds. His arms lay idly on his thighs with his eyes shut and lungs breathing in deep, concentrated breaths. He was meditating. He attempted to feel the hollowness of the sea underneath him – the gushes of strong currents, splashes of water, and faint echoes of the creatures lurking in the dark lairs of the vast sea.

He heard familiar footsteps on the floorboards. Opening his good eye to the grating sound of the cabin door, he looked at Usopp who was standing in the doorway with flushed cheeks and puffy eyes. He cocked an eyebrow to the sharpshooter, who just closed the door and gave him a nonchalant shrug.

“I chatted with Sora about something sad,” Usopp said as he felt the need to explain in front of the swordsman’s questioning stare.

“You’re such a crybaby,” Zoro snorted.

“I am not!” The sharpshooter climbed on his bed. Pulling the covers down, he looked at Zoro who was currently on the act of dusting his pants off. “Are you going somewhere? It’s getting dark outside.”

Zoro hauled his coat from the cushion and slithered his arms on the sleeves. He tied his black waistband around his katanas, fastening them securely against each other. “I’ll sleep outside. It’s too stuffy in here.”

Usopp rolled his eyes before giving Zoro a dismissive wave. “Yeah. Yeah. Just don’t get lost in the ship.”

“I don’t get lost!” Zoro snarled at him, but the bastard just ignored him and busied himself on his hard pillow, probably finding a comfortable position on the cheap material.

Zoro closed the door behind him and oddly turned around a few hallways before he finally managed to see the stairs leading up to the quarterdeck. The sky was dark out, obscuring the thin line of shying light from the horizon.

The swordsman looked around for a good spot for his nap – or rather, a good night’s sleep. His eyes landed on the wooden barrels near one of the masts. With an approving grin, Zoro strode his way towards the promising den being offered to him in plain sight. He moved a few barrels aside, making a sufficient gap for him to fit through.

He sat down and leaned against the mast, placing his swords on the floorboards beside him in a comforting distance. With arms tucked behind his head, he let his thoughts wander on a few things that shocked him a few hours ago.

The brat was probably the cook’s kid. Without any doubt, the little kid certainly looked like him. “So he has a wife, huh?" he mumbled to himself.

It wasn’t really a surprise. The cook was all with women from the start and more or less four years was enough for him to find a bride and settle down. He was upset though. If the bastard had something important like this – a kid or a family outside the crew – then he should have told his friends. Did that idiot think that the crew wouldn’t accept his family? They’d been through a lot together, and hiding something like that was completely nonsensical.

But there was more. No one said a thing, but when Zoro had thought of that boy as the cook’s kid, he felt something painful between his ribs. Like a _squeeze_ in his chest that ended up as a hollow void inside him.

A frown settled on Zoro’s face. He was never this emotional towards the cook. He knew that their last encounter in Bartero and that baffling kiss they’d shared on the sandy shore of the island a few years ago had definitely _screwed_ something inside him. He couldn’t name it.

It was lush and warm… but painful. Like a thirst that could never be quenched even if you drank a whole ocean of sake, or a hunger that could never be satiated by a whole island of food.

It was gravely frustrating. Zoro meditated more when the cook left. But that image _of blond hair and blue eyes_ kept slipping in his mind like a religious chant, or perhaps like a stubborn curse.

He could see the cook’s blue eyes in the ocean waves, his happy smiles in the haziness of his dreams, his curly brows in his reveries and his golden locks shining in the darkness beneath his heavy lids. Everytime the mental picture amassed, taking shape of the cook’s face with that pale complexion, faint flush on his cheeks and a cigarette dangling between soft lips, Zoro’s heart would flutter in a bothering rhythm that would sometimes wake him from his sleep or condemn him in the solitude of the night, leaving him to stare unblinkingly at the wooden ceiling of the Sunny and listening to his nakama’s snores and silent breaths.

Light footfalls disturbed Zoro’s train of thoughts. He clasped Wado’s hilt as he waited vigilantly to the source of that noise, but when the person appeared, Zoro’s grasp on Wado slackened and his eye widened a little at the short figure in front of him.

Kaitarou stared at him with knotted curly eyebrows. “I can’t sleep,” he cried softly.

Zoro blinked at the kid’s words, feeling his thoughts and articulation slip away from him for a moment. With a sense of loss and uncertainty, the swordsman spoke up. “What do you want me to do?”

Kaitarou rubbed his eye through a sleeved arm. The kid was wearing a white baggy long sleeve shirt untidily tucked on the waistline of his gray pajamas. With head down low, the kid walked towards Zoro and knelt in front of him.

The swordsman almost jumped in place when the kid crawled between his legs, through his open black coat and troubling enough, _under_ his green haramaki. The belly warmer stretched to accommodate the kid’s slight size, stunning Zoro into a wordless stupor.

The kid curled himself on Zoro, resting his little head on the swordsman’s chest and slipping his cold hands between his head and right shoulder. “Daddy is so warm.” the kid whispered with contentment.

Zoro stared wide-eyed at the small figure tucked snugly in his haramaki. He couldn’t say anything, not even a crude remark or an irritated huff. But when he felt those frail shoulders trembling weakly against him, and those cold feet brushing his thighs gently, Zoro felt his resistance slip away.

The swordsman grabbed the fabric of his coat and draped it over the little kid, like a protective curtain or shelter from the storm. “Suit yourself, kid,” he said.

The kid shifted slightly against him, inside the confines of the thick black clothing and his green haramaki. It wasn’t long when the swordsman heard the hum of light snores and the gush of warm, shallow breaths against his skin.

And with a silent sigh and slight shake of his head, Zoro chuckled.

-TBC

* * *

 

**Art by ME! :D**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaitarou snuggling inside his dad's haramaki is just so adorable. :) I'm updating while I'm still not that busy (and also because I can't stand Kaitarou's cuteness *cries inside*).


	14. Silently, I Broke

**Thank you for your continuous support and for reading up until this chapter! Enjoy the story. :)**

**P.S. ART for Chapter 13 is[HERE](https://lady-elocin.tumblr.com/image/163792459270)! :)**

* * *

 

  **Chapter 14: Silently, I Broke**

 

“Sanji?”

The blond stopped stirring and glanced over his shoulder to the kitchen doorway. “I’ll deliver a few loaves to the Langstens. I’m using the backdoor. Will you be fine here?”

Sanji nodded. “Yeah. But how about dinner?”

“Just set a plate aside for me,” Vallo responded, smiling.

“Alright,” Sanji replied and the man retreated from his sight to deliver the pre-ordered loaves of bread. It was the youngest Langsten’s birthday, so maybe they would have a dinner party or something, and Sanji was quite sure that his bread had been always a part of every party in this island.

Smiling, Sanji finished stirring his curry and scooped a bit through a spoon. After rolling the slightly thick mixture on his tongue and deeming the aroma and blend of spices heavenly, the blond turned the stove off and went for the newly-cooked rice.

Vallo already saw his father. A few days after learning that Dr. Ranport was indeed alive, Vallo immediately went to the coast and boarded the cargo ship towards Bartero. They were seeing each other once a month now, and Dr. Ranport insisted to be the one to visit here for it was dangerous for Vallo to gallivant through the ‘Open Island’ crawling with black market dealers and undercover marines.

Dr. Ranport’s visits became more frequent when a full-time passenger vessel started hauling passengers from Bartero and around the neighboring islands. It was very convenient actually. They could buy bags of flour from Bartero easily now.

Sanji crowned his rice with a thick coating of brown curry. It was sparkling, making Sanji proud to himself. However, there was no one in the house right now to taste it. Cooking was supposed to make other people happy and he desperately missed cooking for his nakama and for his guests in the Baratie.

Setting the plate down on the wooden kitchen table, Sanji undid the ribbon of his pink Doskoi Panda apron and hanged the piece of clothing on the hook beside the stove.

It was the fifth day since Sora, Dan and Kaitarou left. He was still awfully worried about his son tagging along with Sora in her errands, but he knew for a fact that when he told his son about All Blue, about that mythical ocean harboring all the fishes from the Four Blues, he would see his son’s eyes sparkling with amazement whenever the both of them spent some time along the shore of Banaru.

His son would stare at the vast blue ocean in tranquility, letting the small waves wash around his ankles and the wind blow gently across his face. Whenever he saw Kaitarou’s longing eyes, Sanji would be reminded of his life in the sea – the moving kingdom of Germa 66, his days in the Orbit, in the Baratie, Going Merry, and in the Thousand Sunny.

The blond would see his little self in Kaitarou’s persona – how much his kid loved the sea, how refreshing it was to feel the salty waves around his feet, and how mysterious that seemingly unending vast body of water could be to cradle his ultimate dream – the All Blue.

Sanji had always been a ‘person of the sea’ from the very start. The gentle sways of the ship beneath his soles and the splashes of water around him were like the extensions of his being.

He missed his old life. He missed being one with the sea.

He missed his life in the Sunny the most.

A loud knock from the shop’s door interrupted his reverie. It was light’s down already and around 8 PM, so who could that be? Maybe, Vallo forgot something?

Sanji walked out of the kitchen and through the small shop. He saw a few silhouettes through the opaque glass of the shop’s door. Alarm set in his system as he eyed suspiciously the shadowed outlines of people on the other side.

“Who’s there?” he called.

Sanji waited for a moment, but when a familiar high-pitched voice answered him, Sanji’s anxiety ebbed away. “It’s Sora, Sanji-san.”

The blond closed his eyes and used his Observation Haki. He felt five familiar auras emanating from the other side of the door. The three unmistakably belonged to Sora, Dan and to his son. But the other two…

Sanji slid the bolt off and before the blond could manage a single word, a huge figure lunged straight at him, tipping off his balance and wrestling him down on the wooden floor. “What the _fuck_ –”

“SANJI!”

The blond froze. His visible blue eye landed on curly dark hair tied into a knot behind his head. He felt something poke his collarbone, and when the guy lifted his head, a shower of tears almost flooded Sanji’s face but the blond couldn’t avert his eyes from the oh-so-familiar long nose and thick lips above him.

“I MISSED YOU, SANJI!” Usopp wailed as he cried fountains from seeing the blond.

“U-Usopp?” Sanji spoke in shock and disbelief. His nakama consumed him again in a bone-crushing hug which made Sanji choke his lungs out.

“Get off me, you bastard!” Sanji struggled as he put a hand on Usopp’s head, pushing him away from his personal space. “I can’t breathe!”

“Usopp-san!” Sora knelt beside the two struggling men who were now a tangle of limbs on the shop’s floor. “Let Sanji-san go for a while!”

As if regaining his consciousness, Usopp loosened his arms around Sanji’s torso. He stood on his feet and sobbed on his arm like a fucking lost kid.

Sanji looked at his crying nakama with a mixture of happiness, confusion and incredulity. “Usopp. What are you doing–” the blond began but was instantly cut off by a pair of small flailing arms around him.

“Papa!”

The blond’s attention focused on the small boy hugging his neck. Sanji’s heart instantly melted at the warmth and comfort that those arms were offering him. “Welcome back, Kaitarou,” the blond spoke gently.

The kid looked at him and smiled brightly. For a moment, Sanji thought that his son’s smile illuminated the unlit dark room.

“Papa! I found Daddy!” the boy exclaimed.

Sanji’s curly brows pulled together in confusion. “What?”

Then he heard it – the light shuffle of clothes, the clank of golden earrings, the clatter of sword sheaths and the all-too-familiar thuds of heavy boots on wooden floor, those easily-recognizable footfalls he usually heard like a mantra way back in the Thousand Sunny.

A large figure appeared on his periphery. His son flipped around and ran beside the solid form, gripping his little hand on the black fabric of the man’s thick coat.

Sanji looked to his side slowly. So _agonizingly_ slow. As Sanji trailed his eyes up, as every inch of the man’s features gradually took form into a recognizable shape, Sanji felt his heart leapt to his throat when his blue eye locked with that beautiful _grey eye_.

The man was looking down at him, towering Sanji with his wide built and firm stance. The blond felt his joints deteriorate as if rusts had rendered them immovable.

And for a moment, the whole world around the blond seemed to stop. All things and everyone around him seemed to disappear, except for that _man_. That green hair that he’d yearned for so long in his nightly slumber and daylight musings, that gray eye that had been the subject of his unworldly fantasies, those tan muscles that rippled under his palm in every touch and those scars that bid him temptation, luring his lips to run across the rough undulations.

“Z-Zoro?” the blond muttered.

* * *

The dinner went well for that night: Usopp crying and telling him how much he missed Sanji’s cooking, Sora telling them that they visited his grandfather, Dr. Ranport, in his medical supplies shop, stressing about his son being lost _again_ and Kaitarou earning a reprimanding look from Sanji which made the kid slid lower on his seat.

Sanji probably watched Zoro the entire time, stealing glances towards the swordsman in every chance he got. The man had become taller and _firmer_. His hair was a bit longer too, but he was just as good-looking as Sanji remembered.

The blond felt that flip-flop sensation of his heart again, spreading warmth across his chest and ending up as fluttering butterflies in his stomach. Fuck. After all these years, he still had it bad for the other man.

The swordsman ate his fill silently. Not even throwing a glance at Sanji after that fleeting moment in the shop.

He wanted to ask what brought his two nakama here. Well, he knew they were here for him, but there must be a reason behind that. However, he wouldn’t want others to hear that private conversation. He would probably have to ask Usopp to remain after dinner to catch up.

Dan thanked Sanji for the meal and went home after that. Usopp helped Sanji clean the table as the swordsman walked out of the kitchen wordlessly. As they dropped the plates and glasses on the sink, a hand on his shoulder jolted Sanji from his thoughts.

Usopp looked at him worriedly. “It’s okay, Sanji. It’ll be alright.”

The blond released the breath that he didn’t realize he was holding and let his tensed shoulders sag under the comforting hand of his nakama. “I… I don’t know what to say to him,” he uttered quietly.

“Just tell him the truth,” Usopp spoke as he squeezed the blond’s shoulder. “I’ll talk to you later. But you need to have a conversation right _now_ with Zoro.”

The blond stared at the drops of water dripping down from the faucet. He contemplated for a moment, drowning his anxiety, doubts and painful emotions inside his chest. When Sanji nodded, the corners of Usopp’s mouth curved up into a smile.

“I’ll tell him to wait for you outside.” Usopp withdrew his hand and turned around. But before he could make another step, the blond called out to him.

“Usopp,” Sanji said as his nakama glanced back at him. Sanji’s head bowed down and his hands balled tightly at the edge of the sink. “Can you take Sora-chan and Kaitarou out for a walk? I don’t know if things will go well, but… I just don’t want my son to hear us fighting.”

The sharpshooter felt a painful squeeze in his heart. He was hurting for Sanji, as well as for Zoro. But all things must come to an end. If there was a time for the truth to come to light, then that time was _now_.

“I understand,” Usopp assured him before walking out of the kitchen to fulfill the blond’s request.

* * *

Sanji thought of a few approaches on how to break the news to Zoro. His thoughts jumbled into a giant pile of mess as he scrubbed the plates under the running water, leaving him frustrated and agitated.

After drying the last utensil, Sanji wiped his hand on the kitchen towel and plucked a stick from his pack of cigarettes. Sanji lit it up with his lighter and took a long drag to intoxicate his lungs with calm shivers of nicotine.

Sanji tried to delay his talk with Zoro by washing the dishes first, using it as an excuse to prepare himself from the impending horror. But enough was enough. Sanji couldn’t run from it his whole life. He knew he had to tell Zoro the truth one day, but he was fucking taken by surprise of the man’s sudden appearance on his doorstep.

It felt like a battle that Sanji wouldn’t ever be prepared for even though how many times he geared up for it.

The blond was able to make a few steps on the wooden floor before someone appeared on the doorway of the kitchen. Sanji instantly froze on the spot as he locked eyes with the swordsman.

“You’re taking too long.”

The blond’s heart banged against his chest at that low baritone. It was the first sentence that Zoro spoke after almost four years of separation, because the swordsman had been unusually quiet the whole time. Sanji felt nervousness and joy upon hearing that low timbre that he loved so much. It was so rich and akin to an echo resounding deeply from the bottom of his heart.

Sanji swallowed thickly as he tried to form words on his mouth. “I washed the dishes.”

The swordsman grunted silently in response, taking a comfortable spot on the wall beside the doorway and leaning against it with arms crossed over his muscular chest. “So where’s your wife?”

Sanji cocked an eyebrow. He never thought that the first thing that would come out from the bastard’s mouth was an absurd question like that. “I don’t have a wife, idiot.”

“Don’t lie to me, Cook,” Zoro snapped as he frowned at the blond. “That Kaitarou kid definitely looks like you. He has your blue eyes and stupid curly brows.”

“And he has your fucking stupid mossy green hair,” Sanji retorted.

The swordsman froze at that and Sanji could swear that he could feel his heart beating in his throat right now. Sanji took his pocket ashtray from the back pocket of his pants and killed his halfway done cigarette on the fire proof container. He tossed the material on the kitchen table and placed his trembling hands safely inside his pockets.

His palms were sweating.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Cook?” the swordsman asked in confusion.

Sanji stared at the floor. “I have a _strange_ condition. I got it congenitally when my mother drank this weird drug while she was pregnant with me. That’s why I’m able to conceive a child.”

Sanji saw the mixture of shock and disbelief radiating from the swordsman’s face. But before the man could interrupt him, the blond continued. “A few years ago in Firework Island, I went back to the Sunny to change my clothes. You were on watch that time while we partied with the natives. And when I called for you and you didn’t answer, I climbed up the crow’s nest and found your drunken ass sprawled on the floor. I was getting dizzy and exhausted as well and I didn’t want to fight with you, so I tried to kick you awake but…”

The blond shifted his weight as he felt his heart race inside his chest. “Something _happened_ between us. It was a mistake. And before I knew about my condition, it was already too late.” Sanji fixed his gaze on Zoro’s widened grey eye. “I was two months pregnant when I left the Sunny.”

The swordsman’s arms unfurled on his chest and dangled limply to his sides. He was looking at Sanji like the cook had grown a second head or something. He was too shocked to say a single sound.

After a few seconds of losing his momentum, Zoro spoke. “Are you on drugs, Shitty Cook? Do you think I’ll believe that shit?”

Sanji let out a sigh and scratched the back of his neck. “Well, you don’t have to. I mean, it’s your choice. Your kid’s there and running around with your mossy hair. I just told you the truth. You can talk to Chopper if you still don’t believe me.”

“Wait, what? Chopper knew about this?” Zoro asked in surprise as he took a few steps closer to the cook. “Did _everyone_ in the ship _know_ about this?”

Sanji averted his eye from the swordsman in shameful confirmation. “I told them not to tell you.”

He sensed Zoro moved in front of him, but before Sanji could lift his gaze back to the swordsman, Zoro’s fist clenched around the fabric of his blue shirt, pulling Sanji forward to meet the deathly glare of the man.

“WHY THE FUCK DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!” Zoro shouted on his face.

Sanji could feel every pore on Zoro’s skin ooze with rage. His heart hammered painfully inside his chest. He had expected this reaction a million times from the swordsman, but actually getting it on the spot was very unnerving.

“Because that time, I thought it was the right thing to do! And it still _is_!” Sanji yelled back, gripping Zoro’s trembling fist on his shirt. “I don’t want to be a burden to you, or to anyone for that matter! That’s why I left the fucking ship! We’re in a fucking war with Kaido and you have your fucking dream of becoming the greatest–”

The blond flew across a few chairs and wooden table. The furniture clattered loudly against the wall as the blond struggled to lift his body from the flipped over kitchen table, his spine and shoulders stinging painfully at the powerful impact. Zoro closed in the gap between them in three fast, long strides.

The swordsman knelt down and fisted the blond’s shirt again. “You don’t have the right to decide for me. It’s my _life_ , and my _dream_. If I have a kid, then I won’t run from that responsibility. I will protect my kid with my life. Fuck, I’ll probably even _die_ for him,” Zoro spoke in a low dangerous tone, but the swordsman’s words were full of resolution and disappointment which made Sanji’s heart beat painfully inside his chest.

“I know you will,” Sanji said, his eyes burning with unshed tears and bottled up emotion. “That’s why I can’t tell you. You’ll die for him. Without even attaining your ambition. You said that when you decided to be the greatest swordsman in the world, you already threw the rest of your life away. I can’t burden you with my fucking problem. It’s my fault that I’m a _revolting_ , _abnormal_ _bastard_! I can’t drag the whole crew down with me! I can’t jeopardize my son’s safety by sailing in a pirate ship and fighting a fucking war with a yonkō!”

The blond locked his eye with Zoro’s, fighting that glaring battle with his own will and resolution. “I can’t believe you, Cook,” Zoro accused him. “You stole the milestone years of my kid away from me. Do you know how fucking sick that was? Hiding in a god-awful island like this and never telling me anything? Do you think that I won’t accept you?”

Sanji laughed humorlessly at that. “Why?” He looked at Zoro with a glassy blue eye and a pitiful grin on his face. “Do you even _love_ me?”

A flicker of emotion flashed across the swordsman’s face, making his lashes flutter for a moment and his lips part a little. Sanji saw the debate in that grey eye, how uncertainty tensed the muscles on the swordsman’s jaw and how the blond’s words hit the man like a tidal wave that Zoro’s grip on his shirt slackened every second.

When Zoro averted his eye from him, Sanji could swear that he felt a crack as his heart broke into a million tiny pieces. A tear fell from the blond’s blue eye and he harshly shoved the man’s hand away from him. “Get out,” Sanji spoke hoarsely.

When the man didn’t move, Sanji glared at him angrily and shouted, “I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT!”

The blond kicked the swordsman on his abdomen, causing the man to hit the opposite wall with a loud thud. Rubbles of cement fell from the crack on the wall, coating the swordsman’s shoulders with dust and small stones.

The blond was panting for air as he tried to swallow the boulders of painful feelings lodging inside his throat. After a while, the swordsman propped his hand on his knee and pushed himself to stand.

After dusting off his left shoulder, Zoro walked out of the kitchen without another word, without another glance to spare at the trembling blond sitting on the wooden floor. When Sanji heard the faint sound of a bell from the bakery shop’s door and the silence hung around the kitchen like a thick mist of suffocating poison, the blond crumpled on the floor.

Sanji doubled over, pushing himself against his knees and burying his wet face on his trembling hands as he let the tears flow freely from his eyes. Sanji sobbed his heart out, choking on his breaths and feeling the excruciating pain and numbness that the man had given him.

Every fiber of his being hurt with Zoro’s unspoken rejection. Beneath his closed lids, the blond could clearly see the hesitation in Zoro’s grey eye, how he looked away from him and how his mouth shut with Sanji’s seeking words.

_Do you even love me?_

“FUCK!” Sanji banged his right fist on the wooden floor, causing a few splinters to bury in his palm. Sanji gasped in horror as blood started to drip from the small cracks on his skin. Shit! What had he done?

Sanji bit his lower lip as he cradled his wounded hand between his stomach and thighs. With head down low and tears dropping from his eyes, Sanji whimpered. “I’m sorry.” Sanji sniffed, his grip on his right hand tightening. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t know what he was apologizing for. If he was saying sorry for wounding his precious hand… or for keeping the truth and hurting Zoro.

So that the man would turn around and go back to him. So that he would not leave Sanji alone again. So that the blond would be able to stare affectionately into his grey eye and love the man secretly once again.

-TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing because I'm flowing with ideas and emotion right now for this story. Haha.


	15. Tall Boundaries

**Chapter 15: Tall Boundaries**

 

Sanji was staring at the crack on the wall across from him. He was leaning against the flipped over table, legs outstretched on the wooden floor and hands propped limply between his thighs for what seemed to be like hours.

His eyes felt sore, painful in the least. Not because of his outburst of emotion earlier but because of the aftermath of his tirade with the swordsman. His lids felt rough and papery, staining with dried tears and reddened puffy skin.

Sanji tried to sense the tremendous pain inside his chest. Surprisingly, there was none. He felt oddly numb, like his heart was frayed for beating so hard and every fiber of his nerves was worn out owing to his burning anguish, leaving him a lump of marred flesh and bones.

It was funny actually. How Zoro's harsh words broke through his thick barriers. But it was even funnier how the swordsman's silent rejection left him so lost and broken inside.

It wasn't that Sanji was expecting for Zoro to reciprocate his feelings. He didn't even confess in the first place. The guy might have probably hated him ever since the time they had their first fight way back in Nami's hometown — Cocoyashi Village. It was the blond's choice to have this one-sided affection because he knew that it would be pointless.

Zoro had never been in a relationship before. He had too much time allotted for his training and a lot more for the pursuit of his ambition. His entire life was about his dream, about overcoming weakness and getting stronger. About continuously challenging himself, defying his limitations and pushing against the odds.

Without any doubt, the swordsman was outright shaken by the mere truth of him having a child. With a _man_ and with his _rival_. What could possibly be worse than that?

Somewhere deep inside him, Sanji knew that the swordsman didn’t really hate him. It was this rival thing between the two that pissed the both of them most of the time. They were just too stubborn to admit defeat and to give up. But they respected each other as much as they acknowledged each other’s strengths. They were particularly tight-lipped of what they felt, if they felt awe, thankful or amazed to the other. The compliments would bend and diverge into something awful like an insult or a scoff. It was how their relationship started, ought to stay that way until the end, but the blond wasn’t in the least sure about it now.

He fucked things up. By running his stupid mouth he’d severed the tiniest thread of connection between the two of them. He would never know what that kiss even meant now, or if it meant _anything_ at all. He held onto that kiss for almost four years because it was the closest thing that Sanji would ever get from Zoro that was adjacent to love.

He fooled himself that maybe Zoro did feel _something_ for him. He kissed him back in return so there might be something. Sanji adhered to that vague idea for years, but it turned out that it was all a sham created by his brain — to trick him into thinking that Zoro might someday fall in love with him.

He shouldn’t have said anything. He shouldn’t have told the truth. He shouldn’t have left. He shouldn’t have let the swordsman have his way with him back in the crow’s nest. He shouldn’t have seen his greatness. He shouldn’t have been swayed by his fierce determination and valiant code of honor.

He shouldn’t have let himself fall madly in love with Zoro.

Sanji was the one who put miles between the two of them; still, he didn’t stop thinking about the other man not even for a second. He should’ve stopped himself from falling into the depths of superfluous passion, from being captivated by the heated memories of the other man’s soft lips and melting stares.

He was a pathetic and an utter fool.

If this terrible feeling inside him was what they called “heartbreak” then it was fucking torturesome. He felt like his heart was churning his insides, eating him up from the inside out. If this fucking feeling was heartbreak, then Sanji wouldn’t want to go through this ever again.

“Sanji?”

The blonde heard rushed footsteps towards his direction and he wanted to turn his head around but he couldn’t. His neck felt so stiff and his muscles were dreading from exhaustion. He just wanted to curl in a corner and sleep, tucked away safely from the world and away from everyone.

Usopp knelt down beside his nakama, his face contorting with sympathy and pain at the pitiful display in front of him. “Sanji, can you hear me?”

The blond didn’t move, not even a soft groan coming from his lips. Usopp saw the dead light in Sanji’s visible eye — that beautiful blue eye that reminded him of the gentleness of the sea as well as the terror of a tsunami, but was now emitting a faint glow under the mist of shadows. His nakama was sitting idly on the wooden floor, his head and back leaning against the underside of the table, his eye staring into nothingness in front of him, the swollen orbit of his lids, his tear-stained cheeks, his slightly parted lips that were slightly chapped because of dehydration.

He didn’t know how much Sanji had cried before he got here, but he knew that the blond had definitely cried an ocean to make him dry and lifeless like this.

Usopp groaned softly as he pushed the heel of his hand to his eye. What did Zoro do now? Did he just lash out at Sanji without understanding his side of the story? Or was he really that angry at Sanji upon knowing the truth?

Usopp dropped his hand to his lap and looked worriedly at his nakama’s blank stare. “Hey, Sanji—” Usopp trailed off when his eyes caught something red between the blond’s thighs. The sharpshooter paled at the sight and he almost tumbled back on his ass when he realized what the blond had done. “Oh my god, Sanji! Your hand!”

Usopp searched haphazardly inside his brown sling bag for Chopper’s emergency kit. He pulled a wooden small box out and immediately unpacked a clean white bandage and disposable sterile tweezers.

With worry twisting his stomach, Usopp settled cross-legged beside Sanji, gripped his nakama’s wrist and placed his hand gently on his thighs, soiling the garment of his sweat pants with small blotches of fresh and dried blood.

“Hold still.” Usopp picked the small splinters out of Sanji’s palm carefully, sometimes drawing out a new set of fresh blood which made him wince. But the blond didn’t flinch a single muscle beside him. Sanji was sitting still and Usopp was afraid for a moment that his nakama wasn’t even breathing.

When he finally freed Sanji’s palm from the small intruding structures, he poured Chopper’s personally made antiseptic on the small cuts to avoid any kind of infection. Sanji would be so mad with that. As he dried Sanji’s palm with gauze, Usopp’s eyes shifted to the blond’s pale and tear-stained face when he heard him call his name.

“Usopp,” Sanji spoke out hoarsely and Usopp winced at how groggy his voice had been. Did he shout so hard earlier? Or did he desperately try to hold down the painful sobs inside his throat?

“What is it, Sanji? I’m here,” Usopp said encouragingly.

The blond’s Adam’s apple bobbed lightly as he swallowed. “Beat me up,” the cook uttered with that blank and lost stare in space.

Usopp blinked at him for a moment before finding the consciousness to secure the end of the bandage neatly around Sanji’s palm. The sharpshooter looked seriously at the blond. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t feel anything.” Usopp saw Sanji’s unblinking eye flutter its blond lashes for a second. “I can’t feel the pain in my hand. Beat me up, Usopp. I want to feel pain.”

The sharpshooter clenched his jaw tightly as his eyebrows pulled together out of great concern. “You don’t need pain, Sanji. And you won’t feel it anymore. I cleansed your wound carefully. Your hand will be just fine,” Usopp said, smiling reassuringly at the blond. He hoped that his last statement would snap Sanji out of his trance but instead of an utterance of ‘thank you’ or an expression of gratitude, the blond just inhaled deeply and let his eye blink again after what seemed like an eternity for the sharpshooter.

“There’s still pain,” the blond continued, “inside my chest. I know there is, but I can’t feel it. Help me get it out.”

Usopp witnessed the change in the blond’s expression, from a dead-like stare into something congruent between troubled and wounded. Sanji draped his left arm over his eyes, shielding them from the world like a criminal shunning from fault finding stares. “I don’t want _this_. I don’t want to feel _anything_ for him. It’s too _painful_.”

Sanji breathed the last word like he was too tired and exhausted of that lingering pain inside his chest. The blond claimed that he couldn’t feel it, but they both knew that the excruciating pain was still inside his heart, numbing Sanji’s senses to compensate for the dreadful feeling.

A firm squeeze latched on Usopp’s heart at the blond’s moment of weakness. He knew that Sanji hated being weak, let alone in the presence of his nakama whom he silently vowed to protect. At this moment, Sanji was trusting Usopp with his weakness. His nakama was so helpless and lost that he needed Usopp for support in his staggering faith. He’d never seen Sanji crumple like this — that strong and proud man towering over his enemies with pride and confidence was now a powerless heap of surging emotions.

The sharpshooter felt touched and anxious at the same time. He didn’t know what were the best words to tell Sanji, to coax the blond out of his misery. Still, everyone had his moment of weakness. Even the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, must have had his own moment of weakness in his time no matter how short or small it may be.

Usopp wouldn’t let Sanji get through this on his own. They were _nakama_. And that was what they do.

“What happened?” Usopp asked in a soft voice, like he was scared to startle the blond any second now.

“He was mad,” Sanji answered as he lowered his arm to his side. “I knew he’d be mad. I expected it, and I’m completely fine with it because he has every right to be. He asked why I left, why I hid in this island and if I thought that he wouldn’t accept me and our kid. But…” Sanji flicked his eyes low on the space between his thighs. “When I asked if he loves me, he…” The blond swallowed the lump in his throat. “He didn’t say anything, just that conflicting look in his eye and I got goddamn pissed so I shouted at him to get lost and kicked him over that wall.”

Usopp stared at the cracked wall across from them. He should really avoid making his nakama angry anymore.

“I could kick him through that wall, out of this island and across the fucking Grand Line. But I held back, for Sora-chan and his father’s sake. It’s their home after all. Can’t risk messing it up.” The blond laughed humorlessly and Usopp almost winced at the lack of energy in that simple gesture.

“Just give Zoro some time,” Usopp said as he patted Sanji’s shoulder. “He’ll come around, I’m sure of it.”

When the blond’s gaze shifted to his direction with confusion in his face, Usopp urged on. “Zoro didn’t say anything. He even denied it everytime. But the whole crew knows that the stubborn guy is feeling something for you. He fumbles on your golden lighter and when Nami gave him your vivre card, Zoro refused to leave it in the ship and insisted to keep it close to him all the time, tucking that piece of paper inside his green robe. Maybe, Zoro’s just too stubborn to admit his feelings and I know that he misses you the most, Sanji.”

The blond looked at his nakama seriously, contemplating if he would believe that Zoro really did something like that. He tried to feel touched or gratified. But the feelings just wouldn’t come out. All that he could feel was numbness, doubt and pain towards the other man.

“That bastard probably misses me because no one’s kicking his ass around anymore. He’s practically bored,” Sanji reasons out and scratched his cheek with his forefinger as he stared at his outstretched feet.

The blond shifted his position, bending his right knee and propping his arm on it. Seriously, he looked at Usopp. “I don’t want to believe it, Usopp. I don’t want to cling to any false hope anymore. I’ve burdened myself with that fucking idea for _four years_. Zoro himself already gave me an answer. I think that’s enough reason to snap out of this foolishness. Besides, he’s nakama.”

Usopp’s shoulders sagged at Sanji’s surrendering words. He wasn’t the right person to tell the blond to pursue the other man because the matter involved the both of them. He wasn’t really experienced with love in the first place. Maybe, the only one he had an infatuation with was Kaya. Love wasn’t even in his mind when he resolved himself to sail out to the dangerous sea and become a pirate. Perhaps, everyone in the crew thought like that.

Like what Sanji had said, they were nakama — a _family_ of sorts. And family members shouldn’t have any romantic relationship with each other.

The crew was sailing for a purpose: to find their impossible dreams. Having a lover and some other things were listed under that. He couldn’t blame Sanji for falling in love with Zoro. They had their free will after all. But being with a nakama was somehow complicated. Even if he said to the blond that the crew wouldn’t mind if the two of them got together because their crew was stupid and deliberately unconventional, Usopp knew that Sanji wouldn’t be quite comfortable with it.

“So what brings you here?”

Sanji’s question snapped Usopp from his thoughts. He looked at his nakama who was staring at him with a curious eye. He noted that Sanji’s bloodshot eyes were now getting better and that the color on his face was getting gradually back to normal. At least his nakama might be feeling a little better now.

“Ah, about that.” Usopp leaned his arms on his thighs, supporting his body as he looked at Sanji seriously. “Luffy ordered me and Zoro to find you. Things are getting really tough with the whole Kaido war, but we’re thankful for the help we’re getting from the Grand Strawhat Fleet. We’re somehow standing a chance and I know that we’ll win this war.”

Sanji noted the bravery in Usopp’s tone, how determined and full-fledged of a man he was. He felt a beam of pride swell inside his chest for his nakama. Usopp had undoubtedly become braver and perhaps stronger. The whole crew probably became a lot stronger than they were four years ago. He was training in his own way, but he still felt kinda left out. He was itching for a real fight for a long time.

“Sanji,” Usopp regarded him in a low serious tone. “You need to come back to the ship.”

“What?” the blond asked in surprise.

“Someone’s after you. Luffy decided to have you aboard the Sunny to keep you and your kid safe. We couldn’t risk to let you face them on your own, no matter how much we trust your strength. We’ll fight alongside with you.”

Sanji’s shocked expression shifted from lost and lagging into something with great confusion. “What are you talking about? Who’s after me?”

When Usopp answered him, Sanji felt like the name rang inside his ears for eternity, deafening him to the point of choking his guts out. Sweat damped his neck and hands, goosebumps covered his skin and color drained out of his face. If his widened eye and gaping mouth hadn’t already spoken volumes of how dreadful he was feeling right now, then Sanji didn’t know what to do anymore as the accursed name and the reality of it finally settled in.

“They’re eager to find you, Sanji,” Usopp uttered nervously. “It's your family—the _Vinsmokes_.”

* * *

Zoro panted as he felt his neck and arms trickled with sweat. The swordsman sheathed Kitetsu and Shisui on his waistband, sliding the precious blades in their respective homes safely.

Zoro let out a deep sigh as he looked at the receding water of the ocean, where he had cut the tides cleanly out of his frustration. The forest behind him resembled a pile of chopped firewoods when he let out his anger in there a while ago. He was on full rampage. He felt so frustrated and angry at the cook.

What the fuck was he thinking hiding something like that from him? He was gallivanting in the New World and fighting a sick war with a yonkō without even knowing that he had a son waiting for him. He was still letting himself wrap around the idea that he had a kid — someone carved out of his own flesh and blood, who shared his distinctive green hair and probably a few more traits that he missed out of knowing.

He felt so left out. It wasn’t that he wasn’t keen about the idea, but knowing that he had a kid not more than two hours ago was downright shocking in every sense. And with that dumb cook of all people.

His nakama was a _man_. He didn’t have any issue with gender at all, but he knew for a fact that men didn’t get pregnant and give birth. But just like what the cook said, his case was _special_. Something about a weird drug ingested by his mother and fucking him up while inside the womb.

The swordsman ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. He’d probably left Sanji so mad when he walked out from him. But the cook’s question was too sudden. He was taken aback by every bit of it and he just found himself lost for a second and unable to utter even a single word.

That moment, he became a _coward_. He felt so shocked, so lost and too overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events that he just wanted himself out. Zoro gritted his teeth tightly, making the muscles on his jaw jump of pressure. He was not like this. He was usually calm and composed, but when it came to the bastard cook, he became easily riled up and before he could contain it, his emotions had already tangled up and sprung out of him.

Kaitarou was his son. He wouldn’t escape from his responsibility, but he didn’t know what to think of the cook right now. Sure, he was pissed off at the blond most of the time but it didn’t mean that he hated him. He was his nakama after all — someone who he had to protect. He wasn’t a stranger or a nobody in the least. But Zoro didn’t know where their relationship stand aside from being nakama. Everything between them was too confusing to make out a coherent and logical interpretation.

_“Why? Do you even love me?”_

The cook’s low voice echoed inside his head, reverberating his entire being with sounds that were too perplexing for his comprehension. Love? He knew love of course. He loved his swords, he loved his dream, he loved sake, and he loved his crew. But was the cook asking him if he loved him in a romantic sense?

Zoro swallowed the small fluttering feelings inside his chest. He didn’t abhor romance, it was just he wasn’t the person for it. His desire was to be the greatest swordsman alive since he was a kid. He had never thought of an absurd idea like that until now.

Was it love that he was feeling for the cook?

He dreamt about the blond occasionally, particularly more when the bastard left the ship. But he wasn’t too familiar with that feeling to conclude that he was indeed in love with him. Well, did the cook love him?

Zoro shook his head to clear out his frustrating thoughts. With an irritated huff, the swordsman made his way back towards the pitiful path of cut down trees. He desperately needed a drink tonight.

-TBC


	16. Tears For A Lifetime

**Chapter 16: Tears For A Lifetime**

 

When Vallo returned from his delivery that night, his jaw instantly fell open at the sight of his ruined kitchen. His eyes bulging from its socket at Sanji's wrecked form and bandaged hand. The blond's first instinct was to apologize for giving a havoc in his kitchen, but the brown haired man just shook his head and asked if he was alright.

Sanji filled in his two companions about what happened. Vallo nodded in understanding as Usopp occasionally frowned and paled upon Sanji's words. There were no tears coming out, particularly when he was talking about Zoro's silent rejection.

He was just so tired and fucked up that he couldn't care less about it anymore. Vallo asked if Sanji wanted to talk about it more, but the blond just smiled faintly and shook his head. With a nod, Vallo asked Usopp for help to clean the kitchen up, which the latter complied to willingly. Sanji offered a hand, but the older man brushed him politely and told him to go up to his bedroom and rest.

Sanji wasn't up to another debate right now, so he just bowed apologetically and turned on his heels to tread on the creaking floorboards. He was glad that Usopp bid Sora good night and put his son to bed before the sharpshooter went down to the kitchen. He didn't want his son to see him like this – weak, vulnerable and full of holes.

If he couldn't be strong for his son, then who was Kaitarou supposed to depend on?

With a creak, the door to his bedroom responded gently to Sanji's action. The blond's visible eye landed on the small, blanket covered form on his bed. The blond's heart melted at the sight and he closed the door behind him silently.

The window was open, filling the room with cool, gentle night breeze and basking it with the moon's dim blue glow. The blond's footsteps thudded inaudibly on the wooden floor as he made his way toward the old double bed.

The cushion dented upon his weight, creaking ever so slightly, as he pushed a few strands of hair from his son's forehead. Sanji's eyelids fluttered with affection, his chest warming up and pulsating every inch of his being with fondness and love for this child.

A small smile tugged the corners of his mouth as he watched his son sleeping peacefully. Sanji kicked his shoes gently and pushed himself under the covers beside his son. Kaitarou groaned softly as he shifted on the bed, flipping to his side and curling against Sanji just like how he usually did whenever they slept together.

Sanji embraced his son who responded with an appreciative moan before drifting back to sleep. Kaitarou always slept with him whenever he got home from Sora's errands. He knew for a fact that his son missed him and that the blond was feeling mutual about it. Even if it was just for a week, he already missed his son so badly.

Sanji's mind wandered to his and Usopp's conversation a while ago, his features instantly shifting into something furious and disgusted. _Vinsmoke_. He never thought that he would hear that accursed name ever again. He'd cut ties with them several years ago and he knew for a fact that his father was the one who had disowned his shameful son.

Usopp said something about Pekoms – who was a mink and one of Big Mom's subordinates – telling his crew about the Vinsmokes searching for Sanji. He'd never wanted to keep anything from his friends. He just never wanted to talk about his appalling past to anyone. He tried to forget them, bury his shameful memories of his family. He couldn't stay here anymore. He needed his crew for this, he couldn't fight back on his own, let alone if another yonkō was involved in this.

Maybe, it was time to reunite with his crew. He was sure that his nakama would welcome his son happily. They would protect and cherish him. But he was also scared of the dangers that his son would be put into. Life as a pirate was enjoyable, but he couldn't also deny the fact that it was deadly and dangerous. His son was still a little kid. He would protect Kaitarou with his life, definitely, but his fears were consuming his whole being.

He couldn't lose his kid. He couldn't take it. If there was a chance to trade his life for his son, then he would gladly do so in a heartbeat. That was how much he loved his child. Kaitarou was _everything_ to him.

Sanji bowed his head and placed a kiss on Kaitarou's temple. "Love you," he breathed silently and urged himself to sleep as he embraced his son protectively.

* * *

It had been three days since Sanji last saw him. Zoro didn't come back after their fight and he was giving the other man the space he needed. He knew Zoro had to think about things – things between them and about their son. It was a bit too sudden after all.

Usopp said that Zoro was lounging above a cliff in the western woods. He had the marimo's vivre card just in case his nakama got lost again. The sharpshooter complained about Zoro's indifference and stubbornness when he asked the man to reconcile with Sanji. That was the first, the second complaint was Zoro's companion – his fucking booze.

Usopp said that the green haired bastard was drinking day and night, making Sanji cringe. It was an insult to his chef principle: _A man must always eat a nutritious and balanced diet._

So here he was in the kitchen, sprinkling a tinge of salt and palming heavenly white rice to make the man's weirdly favorite dish – onigiri. He was still pissed at Zoro, but he couldn't let anyone starve, let alone his nakama, when he could do something about it. He knew what starvation was like compared to everyone else: how your body silently ate away at you from the inside and how painfully your stomach twitched, churned and ached for food.

A light tug on his apron got Sanji's head out of his thoughts. "Papa," Kaitarou said as Sanji looked down at his son.

The kid's curly eyebrows were pulled down together. "Where's Daddy?"

Sanji hesitated for a moment, but after a while, he smiled at his son. "He's at the cliff in the western woods. You wanna go to him?"

At his words, his son's face seemed to brighten up. Kaitarou nodded eagerly. "Yes! Want to see Daddy!"

The blond's smile widened. "All right." Sanji put the perfect rice balls inside a plastic lunchbox. After arranging the rice balls inside, Sanji covered the container. He washed his hands and dried them on the kitchen towel. After Sanji wrapped the lunchbox inside a light blue square cloth, he knelt down in front of his son who took the lunchbox greatly in his hands.

"Give it to your, Dad, okay? Ask Uncle Usopp to come with you."

Kaitarou looked at him for a moment, his inquisitive blue eyes wavering with wonder. "Papa won't come?"

Sanji opened his mouth a few times to say something but no words came out. He didn't want to lie to his kid, but he didn't have the heart to tell his young mind about his parents' problem either. It was between him and Zoro. Their kid had nothing to do with it and he didn't want to upset his precious child because of their fight.

"I can't," Sanji answered vaguely. It was a safe reply. "Anyway, make sure your Dad eats it, okay? It's yummy."

A smile broke into Kaitarou's face as he nodded cheerfully at his father. "Okay!"

Sanji chuckled and placed a chaste kiss on his son's forehead. "Come on. Go to your Dad."

Happily, Kaitarou skipped out of the kitchen to find Usopp. Sanji sighed and proceeded to clean his cooking tools. Maybe, Zoro would eat his food if it came from their son, right? He didn't have to be the one to shove the food down the bastard's throat. He _would_ , if they were in good terms right now. But Sanji knew when to piss off the man intentionally and when to just back down and leave him alone.

Sanji glanced at the clock. It was past two in the afternoon. He went to the small baking area and started to do magic on his bread mix and knead the dough thoroughly. He, Vallo and Sora had already made enough bread for tomorrow, but Sanji needed something to occupy his mind.

Because whenever his thoughts slipped on that painful night with Zoro, his heart would ache in a dull thumping pattern. He'd be frustrated to hell that he just wanted to thrash everything around him.

After an hour, Kaitarou appeared on the doorway of the small baking area. With Usopp at his side, the two of them made their way toward Sanji who was currently putting stainless trays inside the big oven.

"Sanji."

The blond looked over his shoulder. "Yeah?" Sanji closed the door of the oven and pushed a button to set the timer.

Kaitarou walked slowly toward him and stretched his arms to his father. With a dejected face, Kaitarou offered him the untouched lunchbox that he gave his son an hour ago. "Daddy won't eat."

Sanji froze. Kaitarou bit his lower lip as he fought back tears. "Daddy said to go." His child's eyes glistened with tears and a newfound heartbreak cracked Sanji's heart.

The blond dusted off his hands on his apron and immediately knelt down in front of his kid. Taking the lunchbox from his son, Sanji stroked Kaitarou's hair gently as he whispered soothing words to his son.

"Papa." Kaitarou eyed Sanji forlornly. His innocent big eyes full of unshed tears. "Does Daddy hate me?"

Sanji's breath died down in his throat. He could feel his child's dejection and Sanji couldn't help but feel so hurt for his kid. "No," he answered. "No, of course not. Daddy loves you. He's a little grumpy but he's kind. I'll take this to him. Go and play with Uncle Usopp, okay? Wait in the living room."

Kaitarou nodded sadly and turned around to walk out of the baking area. When his child left, Sanji felt something strong and surging inside his chest. He was angry at Zoro for upsetting his kid.

"Sanji," Usopp called him when Sanji started to walk away. The sharpshooter chewed the inside of his cheek in thought for a second before finally looking at his nakama. "You can kick Zoro's ass. I'm not going to stop you or bitch about it."

"Did he say anything more?" Sanji asked calmly.

Usopp shook his head. "No. He was just leaning against a tree on the cliff and drinking booze. I was afraid for a moment that he might snap at Kaitarou, but gladly he didn't. He rejected the offer and turned his head away from us. You know him. If he doesn't want anything, then he'd be so stubborn about it. I grabbed Kaitarou before he starts bothering Zoro. It's better that way."

Sanji contemplated for a moment. Usopp's eyebrows pulled together in confusion at the cook's lack of expression. Sanji just nodded and said, "Thank you. But I won't kick his ass. I'll talk to him."

That had Usopp shivering nervously. Sanji wasn't the one to talk to his enemy without a foot imprinted on the other party's face. Most of the time, the cook talked with his _foot_ , not with his mouth. He was just as hot-headed as the swordsman, so Usopp couldn't help but feel anxious and disconcerted of how the encounter would turn out.

He would _talk_ to Zoro, not fight with him, which was very weird in every sense. Furthermore, the cook had an indifferent and deadpan expression on his face. And from that, Usopp knew that things wouldn't go well in the least possible scenario.

* * *

 

Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette as he walked through the woods. He could smell the ocean from here so he knew that he was almost at his destination. With the lunchbox hanging from his hand, Sanji saw the cut down trees around him.

He puffed the smoke out of his lungs. The bastard was here alright.

After a few more minutes, Sanji reached the mouth of the woods, leading him on a narrow strip of land beside the ocean. The cliff wasn't that big, but he could see the bottles of sake littering the rocky soil. Sanji flicked his half-spent cigarette on the ground and crushed the butt under his sole.

His unoccupied hand settled inside the protective barrier of his pants' pocket as he walked unhurriedly toward the lazy form of his nakama. The man was lounging against the trunk of a tree, his three swords placed near beside him, his legs crossed and his hand holding a half empty bottle of liquor.

The swordsman flicked his eye to his direction, widening for a moment as he made out Sanji's ascending figure. The blond stopped a few feet away from him. No one spoke for a long stream of seconds, and they just stared at each other wordlessly.

Finally, Sanji tossed the lunchbox toward the swordsman, trusting that his nakam wouldn't waste food in his presence and he did. Zoro caught the thing with one hand, his good eye darting to it for a second before frowning and looking back at Sanji.

"I said I don't want this," Zoro uttered irritatingly.

"You do. And you will _eat_ every grain of it," Sanji demanded, tucking his other hand inside his pocket.

"What do you want?" Zoro turned his head away from Sanji. "I don't want to see you."

"You know you can't avoid me forever," the blond reasoned out and Zoro gave an unpleasant grunt at that. Sanji tilted his head slightly to the side, his face mirroring a dead man's expression. "But I can make things easier for you."

The swordsman's attention got caught by that. He cocked a questioning eyebrow at the cook, who was staring straight at him. "You don't have to talk to me. You just have to eat what I offer you then it's all set."

He knew that Zoro clearly knew how stubborn he could be with matters regarding food and starvation so Sanji took Zoro's sigh as a positive sign and an agreement to his aforementioned terms.

"I'm only gonna say this _once_ , so get your ass to listen to me," Sanji said coldly.

The swordsman frowned at the annoying words but he didn't say anything, urging Sanji to spit whatever hellfire he had in store for the swordsman.

"There are only five things that I care about in this world: the All Blue, the people in the Baratie, my friends, my nakama and my son," Sanji enumerated. "Unfortunately, you're one of those five so I can't let you starve yourself with nothing but booze. Eat the goddamn food up."

The blond shifted his weight, his eye not looking away from Zoro and holding the same intense gaze he was giving off. "I don't care if you ignore me. Shut me out all you want. You're mad at me, I get that. But you have a _son_." The blond stressed the word with so much emphasis that had Zoro flinching lightly at the huge word.

"He is your responsibility now. Give him the attention that he deserves. Give him the love and care he expects from you. He's just a little kid, so don't give him the same rejection that you gave me." For the first time since his departure from the bakery shop, Sanji's face contorted with emotion that he had been carrying inside his chest for a while now.

Sanji felt his emotions surging deep inside him, resonating more and more as his heart beat painfully against his chest and his eyes stinging with unshed tears. Just seeing the man he loved for several years and not being able to touch him, just seeing the same man who had rejected him not too long ago and not being able to do anything about it had pain clawing Sanji's heart out.

Swallowing thickly, Sanji continued to speak. "You don't have to be with me. But you have to be there for your son. You can pretend all you want that I don't exist, but you have to acknowledge your son. It's the least that I want from you. Be there for Kaitarou, Zoro. Make up for your lost years with him. Don't reject him. _Please_."

Zoro's jaw fell at the last word. Never in his memory had Zoro heard Sanji tell him please. This was the first time, and Zoro hitched on his breath at the verbal assault of the blond.

"Honestly, if you ask me," Sanji glared at Zoro, his visible blue eye watery with tears, "I want to kick your ass right now for upsetting my precious kid. I want to take him away from you, deprive you of your right to be a parent for him because of your fucking stupidity and self-wallowing. You can't hurt him like that. He's a _kid_ , for Christ's sake! Did you know that he ask me if you hate him?"

The swordsman didn't say a word, and Sanji wouldn't give him a chance to talk, not until he spilled all his guts out. "Do you know how difficult it is to assure Kaitarou that you love him even if I doubt every bit of it? I don't lie to him, so don't lie to him either. If you really feel that you can't be a _father_ to him, then say it to me directly and we'll be out of your way. He'll be hurt but I'll make him understand. I deeply hope that you will get by and accept whatever bullshit is happening right now because that will be the best for my kid. He looks up to you so don't disappoint him."

"Like I said," he continued further, struggling to keep his voice straight and tingeing it with some sort of solidity and defiance, "You are a father now. Get it through your thick skull. You have to be there for Kaitarou. For your peace of mind and for the sake of your sanity, I must tell you that having a kid with me doesn't necessarily mean that you _have_ to be with _me_."

The two locked eyes for a moment, weighing each other's presence and standpoint. The blond was the first to break. Sanji turned around for he couldn't afford to cry in front of the swordsman. He didn't want Zoro to see his tears flowing freely from his eyes right now. He would think that he was weak, and his pride wouldn't allow him to.

Sanji tried to keep his shoulders from shaking. Sanji tipped his head back, looking at the blue sky for some form of comfort as he inhaled deeply through his mouth.

After calming himself down, Sanji spoke up. "Dinner will be at six. Don't get lost, damn Marimo."

Sanji walked away without another word. He didn't want to hear what Zoro had to say or if he even had anything to say at all. He was pretty sure that he had rendered the other man speechless with his burst of emotion.

Sanji retreated to the confines of tall trees and thick shrubs. His fingers relaxed inside his pants' pockets and he didn't realize that his nails were digging on his palms until a small stinging pain emerged from the crescent-shaped marks. He felt that he had already cried enough tears for his lifetime. He felt so dry, parched and exhausted.

Sanji swallowed the painful lump in his throat, flushing down the gust of emotion inside his chest, and swore to himself that this would be the last time that he would cry for the swordsman.

-TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but an important chapter. The action will probably start on the next one. Stay tuned! :)


	17. For Him And For You

**Chapter 17: For Him And For You**

 

It wasn’t the taste. Not at all. It was the restlessness – the reason why Sanji couldn’t finish his good share of ramen noodles and marinated vegetables.

He glanced up the clock in the kitchen. It was 6:30 in the evening and the damn Marimo was nowhere in sight. His companions were busy eating his food, humming and quietly moaning in appreciation at how glorious Sanji’s cooking was.

Sanji scooped a spoonful of the spiced-up noodle soup, staring at the congruent mixture of spices that could water anyone’s mouth. But he wasn’t really in the mood to appreciate his cooking. He wouldn’t waste food though. He would drink until the last drop of soup in his bowl, though he couldn’t urge himself to bring the hot spoon near his mouth.

He was losing his appetite.

“Hey, Sanji. Are you okay?”

The blond looked up from his spoon toward Usopp’s direction. The sharpshooter was staring at him with furrowed eyebrows and worried eyes.

“Yeah,” he said, dipping the spoon back into the bowl and snapping himself out of his transient thoughts. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just tired.”

“You wanna talk about it?” Usopp suggested, but when the blond cocked a questioning eyebrow, he leaned closer and stated further, “You know. With Zoro.”

Understanding dawned on Sanji and the blond averted his visible eye from Usopp. He didn’t say anything to his nakama when he arrived earlier and the sharpshooter hadn’t asked as well. He was probably respecting Sanji’s personal space and that if he wanted to talk, then he would. Sanji was thankful for that.

“I just talked with him. Nothing happened,” Sanji assured his nakama.

Usopp contemplated for a moment, seeming not to fully believe Sanji’s words but he nudged his thoughts aside and gave the blond an empathetic nod. “I’m here if you want to talk about it though.”

With an appreciative smile, Sanji thanked his nakama who grinned back at him. Where was that shitty mosshead? Did he get lost again? Or he just didn’t want to show up no matter how serious their conversation had been earlier? Did he really have no fucking care about anything he said?

A knock on the shop’s door interrupted their dinner. Vallo stood up and excused himself, telling Sanji and the others to continue eating and that he would be the one to check who it was. The cook couldn’t help but be anxious about the visitor. Was it Zoro? If it was him, what should he say?

No. He shouldn’t say anything. He already told the guy that he just had to eat whatever food Sanji was going to give him and that he didn’t have to talk to him or even acknowledge his existence. It was a deal Sanji came up for Zoro’s sake. The man was having a hard time adjusting to the current situation and the least that Sanji could do was to give the swordsman the space he needed.

He knew he was being kinda selfish. Who in the world could instantly accept that he had a freaking long-lost kid? As much as he didn’t want to cause any trouble to anyone, Sanji had to make Zoro understand. His kid was thrilled of being with his dad. Who was Sanji to severe that connection?

It was quite unreasonable of him to run off from his reality, but he did what he thought was right that time. If he were to be asked, it was still too soon for his son to see Zoro. Kaitarou was still a little kid, and now that his nakama were here, picking him up from his sullen fate, he didn’t actually have any choice but to board his son on a pirate ship at war in the New World.

As much as he wanted to tell Zoro the truth, as much as he desired to kick mountains and bury the ocean just so he could go back to the Sunny, the day Kaitarou was born was the moment when Sanji felt his resolve slipping the most.

He wanted the other man to have a first glance to their son. How Sanji for the first time admired the baby’s curly eyebrows and how he laughed at his ridiculous green hair and thought that a fucking moss had grown inside him.

But most of all, he wanted Zoro to see how little, delicate and beautiful their son was in his arms.

Sora took a slice of bread and gave it to Kaitarou, who smiled happily and began munching on the offered food. Unknowingly, a smile began to form on Sanji’s lips, tugging the corners of his mouth and filling up his eyes with affection toward the two youngsters.

A loud noise jolted everyone from the peaceful gathering. Sanji heard a crash, of things flipping over, stainless trays clattering on the wooden floor and a startled yelp which was unmistakably familiar. Sanji and Usopp immediately stood up, toppling their chairs down on the floor.

Sanji shut his eyes down and used his Observation Haki. To his dismay, he could sense a multitude number of people outside the shop. The blond opened his eyes and looked alarmingly at his nakama. “Usopp, take Sora-chan and Kaitarou to Zoro. Escape through the bathroom window. NOW.”

Usopp nodded. “Got it!”

“Wait!” Sora said in panic. “My dad–”

“I’ll go get him!” Sanji ran out of the kitchen, his adrenaline coursing through his veins and blood pumping in and out of his heart. When he arrived at the shop, he immediately saw the forms of his enemies: black overall and face mask to conceal their identities.

Were these fucking thieves? Or worse?

“Sanji!”

The blond darted his attention toward Vallo. He was lying on his stomach and someone was pressing him hard against the wooden floor. “Run! Go!” he shouted. “They’re _scouts_!”

A sudden horror chilled down Sanji’s spine. How did they find him? How did they even _know_ about him?

The blond glared at the intruding men in front of him. “Who the hell are you?” he spat venomously.

A heavily muscled man examined Sanji for a moment, gazing up and down at him unnecessarily which made the blond conscious and irritated. “The fuck are you staring at?” he asked rudely.

The man’s wandering dark eyes met contact with Sanji’s blue one. “You will make a fine, glorious price,” he muffled through the face mask. “Blonds are a rarity these days.”

It was as if cold water had soaked Sanji’s nerves. So they were here to catch him? To set underground deals in the black market, exploit him in slave houses and eventually sell him to a foolish world noble or a cruel celestial dragon?

Just how the _fuck_ did these bastards find him?

Calmly, Sanji took a stick from the pack in his pocket. He fumbled for his lighter and eventually lit the mouth of his cigarette, taking in a lungful of sinful nicotine and blowing a steady stream of smoke above his head. Sanji pointed his cigarette toward the bastard who was pinning Vallo down.

“Get your fat ass off of him.” he demanded.

The man seemed pissed off at Sanji’s remark and the reaction he got out from him graced the blond with satisfaction. Before the fat guy could snarl at him, the muscled man spoke up in his place. “Don’t be too cocky, Black Leg Sanji.” The fabric on the man’s mouth stretched and his eyes glimmered menacingly which made him look more like a wild animal than the bastard that he was.

“Because,” he continued, “we're also getting your kid.”

* * *

“Okay, jump!” Usopp instructed Kaitarou and as he complied, the sharpshooter caught the kid in his arms. Dropping him on the ground, Usopp called for Sora. He caught the teenager next and settled her down safely on her feet.

It was fortunate that Sora’s house was near the mouth of the western woods. Sora volunteered to carry Kaitarou on her back so that Usopp could fight without constraints. As they sprinted away from the bathroom window, Usopp sensed a fast moving object toward their direction.

“Look out!” the sharpshooter hovered on the two youngsters and tumbled down on the ground. As he glanced to his side nervously, a few feet away and buried on the loam soil was the sharp blade of a sword.

Usopp’s adrenaline spiked and he immediately ushered his two companions on their feet. There was no time to ask if they were alright, especially Kaitarou who appeared to have scratched his cheek. The little kid had tears on his eyes but he was gritting his lip hard to restrain himself from crying. He was looking at Usopp with fraudulent determination and tried not to be a burden to anyone.

From there, Usopp knew that this kid would grow up strong and dependable like his fathers.

Sora carried the kid again on her back as Usopp brought out his slingshot, the Kuro Kabuto. As they ran toward the mouth of the woods, about seven men wearing black overalls and face masks emerged from the nearby bushes.

Usopp placed an arm protectively in front of the kids and halted on their tracks. The seven men bared their swords as they glared at the sharpshooter. “Shit,” Usopp muttered as sweat trickled down his neck.

“U-Usopp-san,” Sora mumbled horrifyingly and Kaitarou gripped harder on the girl’s shoulders.

“Papa,” Kaitarou cried softly as he fought back desperately the tears on his eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Usopp assured the two with a smile. He pointed to himself and bared his chest bravely. “Usopp-sama together with my two thousand followers will protect you!”

The two youngsters’ eyes widened with awe. Usopp had been at war with a yonkō for a few years now. He didn’t have anything to fear about a bunch of buffoon-looking men. The sharpshooter snatched a seed from his sling bag and loaded it on his Kuro Kabuto, aiming toward the direction of his enemies.

“Pop Green!” The seed flew from the band of his slingshot, slicing through the air like a bullet and as odd as it might, a humongous human-eating plant popped out from the seed. The men screamed in fear as some of them got gobbled down by the monstrous plant.

“Go!” Usopp shouted at the two. As they ran desperately toward the safety of tall trees, Usopp was shooting at the enemy’s reinforcements with sheer accuracy. The men dropped on the ground one by one as Usopp started his assault. A loud voice rang Usopp’s ears and his heart leapt up in his throat as he whipped his head toward the source of the noise.

A huge man had his arms around Sora and Kaitarou was sitting on the ground with tears now flowing freely from his big blue eyes. “Onee-chan!” the kid cried.

“Sora!” Usopp tried to run closer but the men surrounded him, barricading him completely. “Get out of my way! Sora! Kaitarou!”

“Ah!” Usopp paled when he heard Kaitarou’s shriek. Sanji would be so mad at him. His nakama had trusted him with the safety of his kid but he was about to fail him. He wouldn’t let that happen. He would save Kaitarou and Sora no matter what the cost.

“Papa! Papa!” the kid cried as he was lifted from the ground by a bald man, running away with the little kid slung over his shoulder.

“Kaitarou!”  Sora yelled and struggled from the brute’s hold.

“Shit!” Usopp pointed his Kabuto on the ground. “Smoke Screen!”

A large cloud of smoke erupted from the attack. As Usopp heard his enemy’s confusion and string of curses because of the repercussions of his unforeseen attack, the sharpshooter ducked between the men and struggled to find his way out of the commotion.

Usopp shot a pellet toward the man restraining Sora. The guy groaned and dropped down on the ground as Sora ran away from him. “Are you okay?” Usopp asked.

The girl nodded tearfully. “Kaitarou! We need to save Kaitarou!” The girl’s green eyes were glassy and her hands were shaking as he gripped for her life on Usopp’s muscled arms. The sharpshooter opened his mouth to say something but Sora’s wild gaze shifted from his face to the side of his head.

With eyes widening in horror, Sora shouted his name and the moment he glanced back on his shoulder, he saw the dangerous glint of a blade raised high for him. He didn’t have any second to decide his next course of action as he just found himself embracing Sora for the sudden attack.

Sora’s shout was muffled on his chest, his arms rigid and tight around the youngster and his heart beating miles away and anticipating the fatal wound, the painful gashing of sharp blade against his flesh and the spurting of blood from his severed arteries.

But nothing came.

The only thing that Usopp heard was a _clank_ – the loud clash of metals, and the deep growl that emanated behind him. He peered over his shoulder, his system flushing with relief as he recognized the strong figure defending them.

The man had his two swords in front of him, trapping the one held by the enemy in the air, and the hilt of his third one clutched tightly between his teeth. Zoro glared threateningly at his opponent and slashed his enemy faster than a heartbeat. The man crumpled bloodily on the ground and a few terrified utterances were heard from his companions.

“Zoro!” Usopp almost cried in respite. Now that his nakama was here, his vice captain, they were safe.

Zoro took Wado from his mouth and looked at Usopp and Sora through his shoulder. “Where’s the cook?”

“He was fighting them at the shop,” Usopp answered. “He let us escape and told us to find you.”

Zoro narrowed his eye. “Where’s he?”

The sharpshooter's forehead furrowed in confusion. “Who?”

Usopp saw something flash on Zoro’s gray eye, like a certain type of rare emotion surfacing from his nakama’s usually stoic demeanor. Zoro regarded the two of them carefully, examining the situation like something was wrong and amiss.

Firmly, the swordsman’s eye held contact with Usopp’s as he said, “Where’s my son?”

* * *

“You bastard!” The cook kicked the huge muscled man square in the jaw. The last thread of his patience snapped when he heard the fucking guy said something beyond his mercy. He wouldn’t let these bastards hurt a hair on his son’s head. He would die before he let that.

With agile feet, the blond lunged for the fat man pinning Vallo down on the floor. “Mouton Shot!” He kicked the guy on his side and he flew across the room, banging against his companions and toppling them down.

“This bitch!” One of the men shouted and tried to slash Sanji but this jerk was no match for him. He kicked him hard on the ribs, satisfied on the sickening crack he heard from the man. Sanji sprinted toward the men and bent down on his hands, his feet hoisted dangerously in the air and kicking the intruders around him.

The shelves broke as bodies hit against them. The whole shop was a mess but Sanji couldn’t give a shit about it. He needed to find his son. Usopp would keep him safe, but he had to be there for him. He just _had_ to.

“Vallo-san!” Sanji gripped the man’s arm and helped him on his feet. “We need to go now!”

Vallo nodded and followed Sanji as they ran outside the shop. Unfortunately enough, they were greeted by a large number of people baring their weapons at them. “Shit,” the blond cursed under his breath. He could take them all, he was sure of that, but their large number would take some time. He also had a civilian with him so he couldn’t actually go all-out without minding Vallo’s safety. Some bastard might sneak on him and–

“Black Leg Sanji.”

The cook’s body tensed at the man’s rough voice in front of him. The ash of the forgotten cigarette between his teeth fell down on the ground beneath him, tingeing the dark soil with burning embers.

“Just come with us quietly and we promise that nothing will happen to your spawn,” the man said.

A vein throbbed on Sanji’s temple and he glared at the man furiously. “I will kick all of your asses, you sick bastards. You wouldn’t get away with this.” He wouldn’t fucking let anyone out of this island without a clear imprint of his sole on their faces. How dare they regard his kid like he was some kind of spawn, like a thing that had no name and was too disgusting to be called as his _child_.

“In fact, we will.”

The cook’s curly eyebrows furrowed with confusion. The burly man pointed his sword to his right, his eyes dancing with menace and amusement as he saw the look of horror slowly contort the cook’s pale face.

The cigarette fell from Sanji’s mouth as he stared wide-eyed at the bald man who was carrying his son. “Oh my god,” Vallo whispered frighteningly.

The bald man embraced his son tightly against his chest and the little kid cried out in pain. “Papa!”

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” Sanji yelled and tried to run toward the asshole who was hurting his kid.

“Stop right there!” the burly man shouted.

The blond stopped on his tracks, his feet unearthing the loam soil under his soles. He glared at the man and his heart skipped a few beats when he saw him pointing a gun at his son’s direction. Sanji could see the playful smirk splitting the man’s face under the darn mask. “Now be a good bitch and come with us peacefully. Or else,” the man slid the lock of the gun with his thumb and Sanji heard the bullet lodge in place, “someone’s brain will splatter on the dirty ground tonight.”

Sanji froze on his spot, feeling the painful beating of his heart against his chest as his blood iced over. The boss took the cook’s paled reaction as his win and he jerked his to the side. His underlings immediately ran toward Sanji and bounded his wrists with a thick rope. Every fiber of his being shouting him to fight, but Sanji’s will seemed to shot down at the command. He couldn’t put his son’s life at stake. He would do anything to keep him safe, even if it meant sacrificing himself to protect his kid.

The men bounded Vallo’s hands as well. They gripped both of his arms and practically dragged him with them. As Sanji’s soles hit the ground, taking a few steps in compliance with the man’s condition, the bald guy who was holding his son gave out a loud, harsh cry.

His head whipped toward the guy’s direction and the cook’s heart jumped on his throat when he saw a flash of green hair under the moonlight. Kaitarou was sobbing behind the man’s sturdy built as his son’s hands wiped the tears on his eyes.

They locked eyes for a moment, but Sanji managed to snap out of his shock and quickly kicked his opponents around him. He darted toward Vallo and spun a round of kicks against the perpetrators. Sanji heard a gunshot and his head whipped automatically toward his son but the man deflected the bullet with his blade.

Sanji and Vallo ran behind a nearby tree to protect themselves from the shootout. “Let me help you.” Vallo untied Sanji’s wrists with shaking hands. When he was free, Sanji returned the favor and undid Vallo's knot. He felt his anger rose up a few more levels and he swore that these bastards would pay dearly for hurting his kid.

“Stay here, Vallo-san,” he instructed to the man who just nodded upon his words.

Sanji ran toward the commotion. “Zoro!” he shouted. The scouts were lunging for the swordsman who was easily beating the shit out of them. It was all they’d got – number. But the weaklings would never beat them, not with Sanji and Zoro watching each other’s backs.

“Protect him with your life, you third-rate swordsman!” he yelled as he kicked a few men on his way.

The swordsman grunted in annoyance. “Stop preaching me, Shitty Cook!”

Sanji grinned as he watched a huge tornado whirled in the air, disarming dozens of their enemies and reducing the number by half. He wouldn’t let the marimo to show off. Sanji felt his right leg surged with a familiar heat. The fire burned against his skin but it never hurt him. His lower limb glowed in the darkness as he raised his leg against his chest with both of his arms taking their places beside his head.

It had been so long since he last fought. And he hungered for a moment like this, his warrior instinct taking the better of him as his blood rushed through his veins with excitement.

“Diable Jambe,” he said. The next event was a blur for his opponents as they felt a piercing heat against their ribs which ground them down on the dirt. The blond was flexible, so agile that the other party didn’t have the time to react with his attacks.

Sanji felt so alive. Fighting was in his nature after all. Struggling to survive against the tyranny of his biological father and siblings, growing up with the bastard cooks in the Baratie and venturing as a pirate in the Grand Line, Sanji had been immune from fists, kicks and blades all his life.

“Sky Walk!” The blond kicked through the air, raising him high above the ground and earning him a few shocked noises from the men below him. “Concassé!” He spun and as his foot hit the ground, the earth shattered from its roots and a huge crack caused the men to be blown by the impact.

Sanji saw a colossal fire bird above him and hit the ground near their enemies. His grin widened, especially when he saw a few men dropped on the ground as something hit them hard. Usopp was joining the game.

Sanji sprinted toward the marimo. “Where’s Sora?” he asked.

“With Usopp,” the green-haired swordsman answered after slashing an enemy.

Sanji knelt down and wiped the tears from his son’s face. “Honey, are you okay?”

The kid nodded rapidly as new tears flowed from his eyes. Sanji’s heart ached to see his son crying. Kaitarou was so terrified that he was unable to utter a single word. His whole frame was shaking and Sanji could only plant a reassuring kiss on his son’s forehead.

“Your dad and I are here. You’re safe now. You hear me?” Sanji said and brushed away the plastered hair on his son’s forehead.

Sanji peered over his shoulder. “Beat them up, Marimo. I’ll take Kaitarou to Usopp.”

“You don’t have to tell me that, Cook,” the man responded as he cut several more enemies around him.

The blond was about to turn his head away from Zoro when he saw from the corner of his eye the long barrel of a gun hoisted dangerously for the swordsman. The cook sprung on his feet and quickly kicked the gun from the man’s grip. The man cowered in fear as Sanji glared him down. “Shitty asshole,” he spitted out.

“Papa!” Kaitarou ran toward his father and Sanji immediately turned around for his son. After a few steps, Sanji sensed a perilous energy to his right. As he turned his head, the blond saw the burly man lying on the ground. His chest was bloody from the deep cut that was probably given by Zoro. But that was not what caused Sanji’s heart to drop in his chest. It was the gun that was pointed directly at his kid that had his blood freezing in his veins.

Sanji lunged for Kaitarou and thought a second too late as the bullet caused the gun to recoil and pierced through the air. The blond embraced his son and flipped his body, shunning his son away from the promising death. As they both tumbled on the ground, Sanji felt pain explode somewhere around his shoulder, making him hiss in pain and making his eyes shut tightly in their sockets.

The blond heard another shot and his thigh jerked at the sudden intrusion of the metal. Sanji groaned loudly but kept his arms tightly around Kaitarou. “Papa!” the kid cried against his chest. “Papa!”

“COOK!”

Zoro cut through the crowd and cursed as he was hampered by his opponents. “Sanji!” Usopp shot the burly man on his head and caused the gun to fall from his hand.

Sanji cracked an eye open and saw the terrified look on his son’s face. “Are… you okay?”

But instead of answering, his son’s face twisted and buried his head against his father’s chest, gripping the blond’s shirt tightly with his small hands. The blond felt blood ooze from the bullet wound on his shoulder and thigh. He tried to sit up but his arms felt so numb. Fuck.

“Sanji!” Usopp knelt down beside him. “Are you... Oh my god!” he exclaimed. “You’re bleeding so fast! What the hell’s happening?!”

“Usopp!” Zoro called his name as he approached them. “Take care of the bastards for me!”

Usopp looked lost for a moment as he tried to regain himself from the shock. He nodded at Zoro and immediately ran to their remaining enemies, shooting them down with his slingshot as the men groaned in pain.

“Cook!” Zoro dropped his katanas on the ground and knelt beside Sanji’s limp form. “What the fuck’s happening?”

“I’m shot, you idiot,” the cook snapped at him through gritted teeth.

“I know that!” Zoro retorted. The swordsman stared in horror at the large pool of blood under Sanji’s body and he knew right away that the amount of blooding flowing from the cook’s shoulder wasn’t normal and that his nakama was fucked up.

“Shit.” Zoro peered Sanji away from Kaitarou and draped the cook against him, Sanji’s face plopping down on his shoulder as he unfastened his bandana from his left arm. The swordsman put the fabric over Sanji’s wound, applying pressure in order to counter the bleeding. His heart was beating loudly in his chest as he felt his black bandana soak with fresh blood.

“Fuck! Cook! You hear me?! Oi!” he shouted on Sanji’s ear when he felt the other man slowly losing his energy.

“Sanji!” Vallo knelt beside them and started to examine Sanji’s shoulder wound. As realization struck him, the brown-haired man’s eyes widened in fear. “Bring him inside! He needs to be treated now or he’ll die!”

All colors from Zoro’s face went down the drain. He had never felt so scared in his entire life. Seeing the cook slowly going limp inside his arms, bleeding his life out, and his son crying with bloodied hands, Zoro swore that his chest was twisting painfully to the brink of suffocation.

“Continue to apply pressure! Don’t let go!” Vallo carried Kaitarou and started to run back in his house.

Zoro was about to scoop Sanji from the ground when he felt the cook’s shaking hand grip the fabric of his coat. “Cook?”

Sanji’s eyelid started to droop down as the blond fought to stay awake. “Z-Zoro…” he said hoarsely. “If… If I won’t make it…” Sanji coughed and the swordsman flinched as blood came out from the cook’s mouth. The blond looked blearily at him as he said, “Take care of Kaitarou for me.”

Zoro cursed as he scooped Sanji from the ground, firmly applying pressure on the fatal wound on his shoulder, and ran after Vallo and his son. “You’ll live, Cook! Shut the fuck up!”

The blond coughed a couple of times more before his hand slipped from Zoro’s clothes. The swordsman’s eye went wide fearfully as Sanji’s pale face dropped unconscious in his hold. Cursing out loud, Zoro ran faster and for the first time prayed to any god out there for the cook’s life.

“In here! Bring him in!” Vallo instructed Zoro as he opened the backdoor wide. The swordsman ran toward the living room and immediately laid Sanji down the sofa, unmindful of the stain that Sanji’s blood would leave on the couch.

“Stay back for a while,” Vallo said to Zoro as he knelt down beside Sanji with a medical kit in his hand. Zoro wanted to shout at the man but when Vallo said that he was the son of a doctor, the swordsman willingly backed down and watched as Vallo inspected Sanji’s terrible shoulder wound.

“Shit,” Vallo cursed under his breath, flipping Sanji on his stomach and ripping the clothes away from the wound. He held a pair of sterile tweezers from the kit. “This is gonna hurt, Sanji.” The blond groaned painfully, his body twitching in agony as Vallo tried to get the bullet out. “Hold him down,” he said to the swordsman.

Zoro hurriedly put his hands on Sanji’s back and pinned the blond’s legs with his knee. As Vallo worked on Sanji’s shoulder wound, the swordsman could hear pained groans from the blond, how his breathing pattern shifted intermittently from deep to shallow ones.

“Got it,” Vallo said as the bullet dropped down on the floor.

“He got another one on his thigh,” Zoro informed the man.

“It can wait,” Vallo answered him. “The one on his shoulder is fatal. It probably hit his axillary artery and he will bleed to death if I don’t stop it.”

Vallo quickly pulled out thick folds of gauze from the kit and gave it to Zoro. “Press on the wound firmly. I need to get something.”

The swordsman snatched the gauze from the man’s hand and applied it on Sanji’s wound. Vallo retreated somewhere in the house but Zoro couldn’t care less. All he could see was the cook’s pained face, his pale lips and the dried blood beside his face.

“Come on, Cook,” he whispered as his forehead furrowed. “You can live this out.”

“Daddy.” Kaitarou tugged on Zoro’s coat and stared up at him with red, puffy eyes. “Is Papa okay?”

Zoro breathed deeply as he noticed the dried blood on his son’s cheek. His heart quenched painfully inside his chest. So this was what the cook feared, the reason why he disembarked from the ship. He didn’t want his son to see blood and conflict at a very young age.

Now, Zoro understood: why Sanji left; why he was so against of raising his child in a pirate ship, and why he wasn’t able to tell Zoro about their son. Because the swordsman would probably insist the cook to stay in the Sunny, telling him that he would protect their kid with his life and the cook as well as he carried their child.

They would be at war with Kaido in a manner of time and the two Strawhats wouldn’t be able to be at their son’s side every second. Sanji feared that something like this would happen, that if he and Zoro weren’t around, their kid would be in danger. It _did_ , and the cook caught that bullet for his son. He would probably do the same if he was there to watch his kid grow up.

Sanji opposed to this, telling Zoro to meet his dream before dying for him and for his son. Before Zoro knew about his son, his head was all about fighting and beating Mihawk, of being the greatest swordsman in the world just like he promised to Kuina.

That was why Sanji left. The cook wanted to protect not only his son from the dangers of the New World but also Zoro’s _dream_.

The Cook had been a martyr ever since, throwing his life away for the sake of his crew and for his loved ones. Everytime Zoro remembered how Sanji stood between him and Kuma in Thriller Bark, how the shaking form of the blond stood tall with pride and bogus strength in front of him, telling the Shichibukai to take his life instead of Zoro’s, the swordsman felt the urge to kick Sanji’s ass for being able to throw his life so damn easily.

But who was he to talk? He would basically do the same. But he didn’t want others to die for him, especially the cook. And for the first time in his life, as he looked at Sanji’s pale face, Zoro was able to name that emotion that was burning deep inside him. It took a painful moment like this for him to fathom the strange feeling and Zoro could smack his face for it. He was mad at himself because the cook had to slip between his fingers before he could understand. Before he could finally realize.

He was afraid to lose Sanji.

Because he loved the foul-mouthed, bastard cook.

Zoro added more pressure to Sanji’s wound. Sweat dampened his forehead and neck as he saw red spreading on the thick gauze beneath his palms. “He’ll be alright,” Zoro said to Kaitarou, his fingers burying on the bloody gauze deeper. “Your father’s strong. He will make it.”

Zoro’s words did more assurance to himself than it did for Kaitarou, because the swordsman needed to hold onto something. He couldn’t lose Sanji. He just couldn’t.

“He will,” he said again, “I know he will.”

-TBC


	18. The Gap Between

**This is probably my favorite chapter so far. :)**

* * *

 

**Chapter 18: The Gap Between**

 

The blue illumination of the moon cast an enchanting glow in Sanji's bedroom, attempting to balance the darkness traversing through every corner of the four-walled room. The partially dilapidated window was open, letting the cool night breeze circulate inside and blow the white curtains gently.

Zoro sat cross-legged against the wall, taking a firm space beside the door, his arms folded over his chest as his grey eye watched Sora's actions. A wet towel was clutched by her delicate hand, moving the wetness along Sanji's forearm and wiping off dirt and dried blood.

A blood bag hanged on a wooden pole beside the bed, the plastic tube snaking from the bag and terminating as a needle carefully inserted at the back of Sanji's left hand. Vallo said that the cook needed a blood transfusion. He was bleeding profusely and even if Zoro had limited medical knowledge, he knew for a fact that bleeding massively would kill anyone. He _almost_ died when he took the huge ball of pain given by Kuma. He knew the feeling of losing a generous amount of life fluid from the body. It was fucking painful, like his life was slowly getting sucked out of him.

Zoro seemed to count every millisecond as he applied pressure on the cook's wound. His patience was wearing thin as he waited for Vallo to return. When he did, he was running and holding two blood bags as he briefly did intricate medical things on Sanji before finally inserting the needle at back of the cook's hand.

The man said that it was Sanji's blood – an autologous donation as he called it. The blood bags were given by his father, who was a doctor, and upon knowing that Sanji's blood type was very rare, the cook was encouraged by the two to preserve his own blood in case of emergencies like this. Chopper as well had autologous blood units of his crew in the Sunny. And for the first time, Zoro was glad that such methods existed.

Vallo tended to Sanji's wound, assuring that enough pressure was applied to stop the bleeding and securing the wound under a fresh dressing of gauze and bandages. Before the second blood bag was completely drained out, Vallo instructed Zoro to carefully carry the cook inside his bedroom. He said that the blond needed to rest properly in order for him to recover.

The cook was on his fifth blood bag and the color on his face was slowly coming back. He was asleep on his bed, his blond locks tangled and tainted with remnants of dried blood, but Sora was trying to clean Sanji as best as she could. Zoro watched as Usopp changed Sanji's clothes after Sora finished cleaning him up.

The teenager was carrying a basin with water a mixture of red and brown. She looked down at Zoro and the swordsman's eye flicked to her direction. "Zoro-san," she said. "I want to show you something. Can you wait for me here?"

Zoro's first instinct was to be suspicious; he wasn't that very trusting after all. But the swordsman debated about it and just nodded wordlessly at the girl. When Usopp was done changing Sanji's clothes, he threw a quick, worried glance at Sanji's face before finally turning around and approaching Zoro beside the door.

"Are you gonna stay here tonight?" he asked.

"Yes," the swordsman responded simply.

Usopp nodded in understanding. "I'll be sleeping downstairs with Kaitarou. Just make sure to call for Vallo-san when something weird happens to Sanji."

The swordsman hummed in agreement before Usopp left him under the solitude of the night. With a keen eye, Zoro was watching the cook's breathing, the slow rise and fall of his chest and the steady rhythm it was giving. So far so good. Vallo said that Sanji was responding to the transfusion better than he predicted, and it was possible that he would be awake in two days.

However, Zoro didn't know if he could sleep at all – not when the cook had a sudden brush with death and not when his son was attempting not to cry at his father's crucial state. Usopp was there to protect Kaitarou as the swordsman guarded the damn cook. He didn't know where those bastards came from, but he was pretty sure that those jerks were after Sanji.

Zoro's fingers dug on his biceps, his eyebrows pulling together and his eye darkening with rage. He wouldn't let those fucking bastards touch a single hair on the cook's head again. He swore he would kill them the next time they'd try to hurt the cook.

The swordsman's senses heightened as he heard footsteps on the outside corridor. As the door opened, Zoro's eye rolled to the side to acknowledge the familiar presence. Sora stood beside him in a floral peach-colored dress, her fingers fidgeting each other as she nibbled her lip.

"Um. Zoro-san," she started and finally looked at the waiting swordsman, "do you want to… see Sanji-san's past?"

Zoro cocked an eyebrow at Sora's words and the teenager seemed to understand the man's confusion. "I mean, I have a Devil Fruit power. I can see people's memories: search for them until the deepest part of their brains, bring them out or make other people see them."

When Zoro didn't answer, Sora dropped her gaze and clutched her hands behind her as her bare toes twitched restlessly on the wooden floor. "What I'm saying is…" Sora flicked her emerald eyes on the swordsman. "I can make you _see_ Sanji-san's memory. Especially the day when Kaitarou was born."

Zoro's grey eye widened as his lips parted in surprise. His heart beat loudly in his chest, pumping blood throughout his entire system. "You can?"

Sora nodded. "Yes. Knowing Sanji-san, he wouldn't want to talk to you about it."

"Why?" Zoro inquired.

Tucking a curly lock of dark hair behind her ear, Sora replied, "Because he had a pretty tough time in his pregnancy a few years ago. He doesn't want you to think that he's weak or something. But I think that you ought to know, especially after what happened today."

Zoro's nerves tingled with curiosity. Of course, he wanted to know about the cook's days when he was still carrying their son inside his womb. He also wanted to see his newborn son as the cook cradled him inside his arms. But most of all, he wanted to know the reason why the events earlier occurred and why those bastards wanted to capture the cook.

The swordsman rose from the floor and tucked his three katanas securely under the waisted beside his right hip. "Let me see," he said to the girl.

The girl nodded and started to take a few steps toward the sleeping form of the blond. The mattress sunk under her weight as she sat at the edge of the bed. She put a hand on Sanji's forearm, gently running her thumb on the pale skin before she finally looked at the swordsman. "Please sit down in front of me, Zoro-san."

The man complied and sat cross-legged near the bed. His eye lingered briefly at the cook before he felt Sora's hand on his head. "In order for you to see Sanji-san's memory, I need to hold on to you both. When you see a door inside your head, don't hesitate to open it. Close your eye now, Zoro-san." she said.

Zoro was lost for a moment, but he didn't say another word as he shut his eye down. He saw darkness behind his lids and the familiar piece of serenity in his meditation. After a few seconds, Zoro felt an unfamiliar energy inside his head. The abstract force circulated inside him like it was digging every cell inside his body, and before he could react, he felt himself tumbling down in a whirl of darkness.

The fall caused his heart to beat rapidly in his chest and to alert every fiber in his body. He anticipated a painful hit on a hard surface, but he was surprised to see himself suspended in the darkness. The swordsman sat up and tried to feel anything but there was none – just total darkness as if he had fallen in a black hole.

As panic started to set in, a blue glow erupted to his left. The swordsman put his arm reflexively above his eye, shunning away from the sudden luminosity. When his eye had adjusted, he put his arm down and comprehended the figure in front of him.

It was a double door – glowing with luminous blue light. The swordsman stood on his feet and started walking toward it as he remembered Sora's words from earlier. He stopped in front of it, unsure if it was safe to touch for it looked like a burning blue miasma taking the shape of a door.

But he _had_ to open it if he wanted to see the cook's memory. The bastard would be mad at him, but he didn't care. He wanted to know what happened to the cook in those four years of separation. With a determined sigh, the swordsman reached out for the door, planting his hand on the weird object and pushed it forward.

Bright light erupted from the gap but the swordsman took a step inside, further and further into it with unwavering fortitude until his whole being was engulfed by the beaming radiance.

* * *

When the bright light ceased and Zoro's eye cracked open, he saw himself standing in a very familiar place. His eye landed on the three figures sitting beside the small wooden dining table. Zoro's heart sped up when he recognized the cook's blond hair. Sanji was _here_ , conscious and sitting on a chair and having a conversation with a familiar brown-haired man. Zoro opened his mouth to call for the cook but he was interrupted by the man's low voice.

"Stay here, Sanji," Vallo said firmly to the blond. "You're safe here. It's dangerous out there. If the marines don't manage to find you, the black market scouts will and they will kill you or either sell you to the nobles and celestial dragons. The latter one is most likely, because a male who is capable of bearing children is a rarity in the world after all. They'll bid the highest price for you in Sabaody or even in black market bidding houses."

Zoro saw the color in the blond's face paled a few shades. The look of terror in the cook's blue eye was evident as he tried to digest the cruelty of what would be done to him if other people found out about him – his extremely rare condition.

At the very thought of those black market bastards selling the cook off to some fucking noble or celestial dragon had the swordsman's anger thundering a few levels near its peak. No one would be selling anyone. He would kill the bastards who would attempt to touch the cook. He would damn them to hell if they would ever try to do the shit they did today.

"Does your lover know?" Zoro heard the man ask. He looked at the blond who was quite having a hard time forming a reply to the question.

After a while, Sanji shook his head. "No. He doesn't know."

Zoro's heart skipped a beat because of that. Was Sanji regarding him as his lover? Did he mean it or was he just saying this to make things easier? Sanji had a kid with him, but he remembered what the blond said: that having a kid with Zoro didn't necessarily mean that the swordsman had to be together with Sanji.

Reminiscing that broken look on the cook's face had Zoro cursing himself to the moon and back. He was so fucking pathetic. He had loved the cook even before he left the ship, but he was too slow at fucking realizing everything. He knew the cook felt something for him, with the way how his blue eye blurred with unshed tears at Zoro's rejection and his tensed shoulders as he turned his back on Zoro in their scene at the cliff and desperately tried to keep his tears to himself.

He had hurt Sanji. He'd been an asshole to him. He'd pushed him away as well as their son. There was no excuse for that and he would completely understand if the cook would never forgive him for it. As a warrior, he needed to be punished for his cowardly behavior and Zoro berated himself for that fact.

"Good," the brown-haired man said and sighed. When the blond asked why, Vallo continued to speak. "It's better if he doesn't know. The thing that happened to my lover might happen to him. You see, the partners of pregnant males are hunted down and killed. If we are considered as the _curse_ , then our partners are the _plague_." Zoro cringed at the cruel wordings. "They are blamed for mating with males who have the 'abnormality.' They are blamed for spreading the seeds of sinful mutation in the world."

The cook balled his hands on his thighs and as anger built up inside him, Vallo said further, "Not only that, all the people precious to you – your parents, siblings, relatives, friends – they'll all be hunted down and killed. That's how the World Government managed to suppress the ideology for years: killing everyone related to the 'curse.'"

Zoro listened as the conversation continued. His eye landed on a younger Sora who was standing close to his father. His attention was caught when Vallo said that the cook shouldn't use his or Zoro's surname for their kid because it would be dangerous. The swordsman's eyebrow twitched at that and he was about to stomp his way to the man to make his point when he was stopped by the blond's next words.

"I understand, Vallo-san. But I already made so many selfish decisions when I disembarked from our ship. I asked my crew to keep this secret to my… lover. And the least I could do is t o give him somehow a 'say' in our child's name. I'll constantly remind our kid not to blab about his surname to other people so it would be alright."

The man asked what the cook meant about that and Zoro was sure that his heart leapt in his throat when a smile crossed the blond's lips as he said, "My child will be a _Roronoa_."

Before Zoro could stop the spreading heat inside his chest, the world crumpled like a piece of paper and Zoro choked in his breath as a new picture unfolded in his vision.

The cook was in front of him, leaning over the sink in the kitchen with his hands gripping the edge of the counter firmly as water continued to run down the faucet. His shoulders were rising and falling heavily and Zoro heard another heave from the cook. The blond jolted forward and hurled the contents of his stomach out with the running water.

Zoro took a few steps forward and reached a hand toward the cook. "Oi–" Zoro stumbled forward as his hand slipped _through_ the cook. Zoro stared at his hand passing through Sanji's back and the cook didn't feel anything. As he retracted his hand, Zoro thought that all of these were really the cook's memory.

The cook gurgled with water to keep the nasty taste from his mouth. After turning the faucet off, Vallo appeared behind them with a worried look on his face. "Sanji?" Even if the man would probably pass through him, by reflex, Zoro took a few steps back and watched as Vallo placed a hand on the cook's shoulder. "Again?"

The cook nodded his head as he tried to take in deep, measured breaths. The man nodded his head in understanding and patted Sanji's back. "It's morning sickness. It'll get more frequent as you proceed in your pregnancy. You'll be fine because I'll watch over you."

The cook smiled at Vallo and uttered a silent thank you. When the man smiled back at the cook, Zoro felt the urge to pry his hand away from the cook's back. A scowl settled on the swordsman's face as he watched the two men exchanged close conversations and gestures. But when the swordsman's grey eye moved lower, his breath hitched in his throat as he recognized the very visible bump on the cook's abdomen.

The cook's stomach was so much _bigger_ than he remembered. He was wearing a large shirt with sleeves hanging past his elbows in order to accommodate his _growing_ child. A strange flutter settled on the swordsman's chest as he took in the blond's form. He should be shocked or worried about the cook hurling his stomach out, but the warmth spreading inside him covered whatever sensation he was feeling right now.

The swordsman felt so overwhelmed by the reality. The cook was here in front of him, carrying their kid inside of him who was steadily growing. Zoro felt the yearning to reach out and touch the cook's bump, to touch their unborn child, but he knew that his efforts would be futile.

The scene crumpled again and Zoro cursed under his breath when he tumbled in the darkness again. He didn't want to go. He wanted to stay a little bit more. He wanted–

Zoro stumbled on his steps. He looked around him and noted the bright daylight outside the window. He was inside the cook's bedroom in Vallo's house. The wind was blowing against the curtains as the window was wide open.

The blond was lying on his bed, the covers pulled over his chest and a damp towel folded on his forehead. The cook's eyebrows were furrowed, his lips parted lightly to accommodate his breathing as sweat beaded on the bridge of his nose, dampening his neck and plastering a few blond hair to the side of his face.

The swordsman noted the flush on the cook's cheeks and he knew at a glance that the blond was down with a fever. The door creaked open and an old man appeared on the doorway. Zoro's first instinct was to block the stranger from going anywhere near the cook but when he caught the stethoscope hanging around the man's neck, his guard dropped a few scales lower.

The old man sat at the edge of the bed. "Sanji?"

The cook cracked an eye open. "Ranport-san?"

The old doctor placed the back of his hand against the cook's neck. He repeated the same motion to his cheeks and to his forehead. "You're still warm," the old man said. "You have to stay in bed for a few more days."

The cook coughed. "Is… my baby okay?"

With a kind smile, the old doctor patted Sanji's shoulder gently. "If you keep eating regularly and drinking the medicine I bring you, then your kid will be just fine."

The doctor took the towel from the cook's forehead and dipped it on the water basin placed on the end table beside the bed. After soaking the towel in the cool water and twisting it to remove the excess, he folded the towel and placed it on the cook's forehead again.

A slight shiver shook the blond's frame as the cold water seeped through his skin and started to cool his system down. "You're nearing the end of your eight month, Sanji," the doctor stated. "Even though we can deliver your kid now prematurely, you still have to be in good health for your child. You're prone to colds as you progress in your pregnancy. You have to be careful. It can take a good toll on you and to your kid."

The blond swallowed to coat his parched throat with saliva. After he nodded to Ranport's advice, the cook held his eyes as he said, "If anything happens to me, Ranport-san," he said hoarsely, "Please deliver my child safely. Even if you have to choose between me and my son, choose him."

The doctor eyed Sanji empathetically for a moment before nodding to the cook's request. "I understand."

Sanji sighed in relief and closed his eye again to drift himself off to sleep.

The swordsman's fists clenched tightly beside him. He gritted his teeth as a painful blow clenched his heart. He wished that he was here beside the cook. He _should_ have been here. He would take care of Sanji – that much he was certain of.

But before he could blame himself for it, the whole picture crumpled again, pushing Zoro away and making him tumble in the abyss of darkness. After a few moments, as the scene unfolded in front of him, the first thing that the swordsman heard was deep, labored breathings.

He was still in the same bedroom, but the ambience was entirely different. If it was bright and tranquil earlier, then now was darkness and raging storm. The window rattled at its hinges as the wind blew briskly and the sharp drops of rain plummeted on the glasses from outside.

An oil lamp was lit and placed on the end table, casting the room with rich orange glows and causing the shadows to dance along the walls and wooden floor. The cook was lying on the bed – his breathing deep and heavy.

"Fuck," the cook cursed.

"Endure it, Sanji," the old doctor from earlier said. "The anesthesia will take effect in a while. You won't feel anything, I promise."

The look of concern on Vallo and Sora's face was evident as they stood and watched silently beside the bed. The cook gripped the sheets as his eye shut tightly. "It's fucking painful."

"I know. I know," the doctor assured him. "They're labor pains. You've experienced it, right?"

The blond breathed in sharply for a few times before responding to the question. "Yes. But... this one's fucking _painful_ –" Before the cook could finish his words, the blond groaned as pain cramped inside his womb. It was like his intestines were churning and twisting oddly in every way possible.

After a few more minutes of struggle, the cook started to calm down as the anesthetic started to numb the pain down and the blond dozed off to sleep. It was better that way for the swordsman didn't want to hear any more pained groans from the blond. It just made him blame himself more at the torture that his nakama was going through.

It wasn't actually his fault that he wasn't here, but he should've had noticed that something was wrong with the cook. He didn't know if he would generously accept the idea that he had a son with the blond if his nakama had said something about it a few years ago. His head was all about war and Mihawk that time after all. Heck, he wasn't even sure if he would tell Sanji about something fucked up like this if he had switched places with the cook.

The swordsman stood at the far side of the room, staying still and keeping his eye low on the floor as the old doctor made an incision on Sanji's abdomen. The cook deserved this respect from him. He knew that Sanji wouldn't want Zoro to see him in this weakened and vulnerable state, thus the swordsman kept his eye fixed on the floor as the cook's three companions worked together to deliver their child.

Zoro felt like it was fucking forever until a high-pitched cry broke through the silence in the room, reverberating more than the thunderstorm outside. Zoro felt his head jerked up in anticipation as his widened eye found the small form of his son in a heartbeat. The swordsman's throat went dry, his hands shaking at his sides and Zoro's hands never shook. He was a disciplined swordsman, an outstanding warrior wielding three katanas fearlessly, but the mere sight of his newborn son being hoisted in the air by the doctor made his whole being tremble with unforeseen emotion.

Zoro took a few steps slowly, his eye never leaving his crying son as Vallo bathed him in a water basin to remove the blood and Sora wrapping his delicate form in a warm blanket. "I'll stitch Sanji up. Sora, take the baby to your bedroom and lay him on your bed. Make sure he gets enough warmth. Your father and I will be there in a moment," the doctor said and Sora nodded as she took her leave from the room.

"Wait!" Zoro started to run after the girl but it happened again. The world crumpled and the next thing that Zoro knew was that Sanji was awake now. It was morning and the cook was still lying on his bed. He was gazing affectionately at the little wrapped figure beside him. The cook smiled warmly as his thumb caressed his child's cheek.

The baby moved, responding to his father's delicate gesture and the blond gave out a small chuckle. The swordsman took a few steps forward, dropping on his knees beside the bed as he watched the two closely – his _family_.

The blond laughed quietly as he touched the kid's unruly green hair. "Hey, you got moss on your head just like your dad. But you'll grow gorgeous because you got my good genes."

The swordsman snorted at that. Until now, the cook's stupid pride and self-confidence were getting the best of him. After a few more affectionate caresses, the blond's smile thinned into a straight line and the shine on his blue eye earlier faded into oblivion.

"I wish the marimo was here to see you," the blond murmured.

Zoro's heart jumped at the cook's words and he didn't want to do anything but to touch the both of them right now. Sanji gave out a sigh as he watched his son's face. "I'm sorry for taking you away from your dad. I know that you're ought to grow beside him, but," the cook trailed for a moment, "things are _difficult_ right now. But you'll see him someday. I promise."

Zoro couldn't take it anymore. He reached out to Sanji but his hand just passed through him like it did before. Cursing in frustration, he saw how the cook's blue eye turned glassy and a tear fell from his eye. The swordsman froze on the spot. He had never seen Sanji cry before, not even out of pain from his gravest wounds.

"I miss your dad," the blond whispered softly and bit his lip to keep himself from sobbing. "I want to see him so badly right now."

Zoro swallowed the lump of emotion lodged inside his throat. "Cook," he muttered. He wished he could share some of the cook's pain at this moment. He had shouldered enough of it and Zoro would do anything to ease his burden. But he couldn't, because this was all a memory. The cook had been through this alone, without him, and he couldn't change a piece of it.

Zoro's surrounding distorted again and the next scene gradually replaced Zoro's earlier sorrow with joy as he watched his son took his first few steps and eventually ending up inside Sanji's arms. The cook hoisted his son happily in the air, praising their little kid for being able to walk for the first time.

The next memory had Sanji sitting on the dining chair in the kitchen. A few blank papers was laid on the table in front of him and the blond was just sitting there, his quill suspended above a blank piece of paper and his blue eye fixated on the blank slate in front of him. After a minute, the cook's hand moved and the ink flowed freely from the quill, forming black strokes of letters in the cook's neat cursive writing.

The swordsman watched as the word 'Zoro' was spelt on the paper. So the cook was writing a letter for him, huh? But he had never received any from the man. It was either for Robin and Nami or Luffy or for the whole crew in general. The swordsman's heart thumped in anticipation at the next words.

The cook seemed to debate what to write next, but when he found the words, Zoro's jaw went slack at the thought forming under Sanji's handwriting.

_Zoro,_

_Guess what, Marimo? You have a son._

"Fuck," the cook cursed under his breath and crumpled the piece of paper in frustration. He threw it behind him and Zoro noticed a few more crumpled papers lying on the wooden floor behind the cook. "I'm no good at this." The cook crossed his arms on the table and bowed his head on them as he continued, "I want to tell him. But I can't. I don't know how. Fuck. I'm so stupid."

There was something endearing at the sight of a troubled Sanji. Zoro felt his chest warmed up at Sanji's frustration, his trouble of finding a way to let Zoro know about their son, and the mere fact that the cook _did_ write to him several times but was unable to finish any of it. The cook was just bad with handling Zoro, and the swordsman could practically say the same thing toward the cook.

"Papa."

Kaitarou walked toward Sanji, partly tripping on his steps as his younger self tried to retain his balance. The blond instantly smile at the sight of his son. "Yes, sweetie?" he said and lifted the kid up on his lap.

The kid looked curiously at the papers in front of him. "You want to eat pancakes?" the blond asked. When the kid shook his head and instead stared at the worn out pictures beside Sanji's letters, the blond smiled in thought and searched through the pictures. When he found what he was looking for, the cook put the picture in front of his kid who immediately grabbed and stared at it.

The swordsman's heart jumped when he recognized the picture in his son's small hands. "That's your daddy," the blond said with a warm smile.

The kid looked up to his father. "Where daddy?"

"He's sailing in the sea right now," the blond explained. "You both got green hair, you see?" The blond pointed at Zoro's crazy green hair and laughed when his son smiled while staring at his wanted poster.

"Daddy," the kid said which made the back of Zoro's throat constrict. "Want… see… Daddy."

"Someday." The cook planted a kiss at the crown of Kaitarou's head. "You gotta be strong first though. We can't see daddy until you've grown taller and stronger."

"What… daddy?" the kid asked and weird enough, the cook seemed to understand what his child meant.

"What's your daddy like?" The kid nodded. Sanji thought for a moment, rubbing his chin with his hand before a smile finally broke through his lips. He looked at his son happily as he said, "Your daddy's very strong. He will be the greatest swordsman in the world when you see him. He's annoying and stubborn most of the time, but he's a good man."

"Papa… love Daddy?" the kid asked innocently and Sanji paused for a moment at his son's words.

However, Zoro didn't have to wait long as he heard the blond say with an earnest smile, "Yes, of course. I love your daddy very much."

* * *

Zoro's eye snapped open. His heart was thundering inside his chest and he could feel sweat dampening his neck and back. When he looked up, he saw Sora, an older Sora, sitting at the edge of the bed. She withdrew her hand from Zoro's head and stared at him worriedly for a few seconds. "Are you alright, Zoro-san?"

Finding his composure, the swordsman's nodded and helped himself to his feet. His eye immediately found Sanji's unconscious form – a needle still inserted at the back of his hand as blood continued to flow from the blood bag hanging on a pole beside the bed.

Sora stood up and glanced briefly at Sanji before directing her attention toward the swordsman. "I'll leave you two alone now."

The swordsman hummed in approval and Sora took her leave from the room. After the door shut behind her, Zoro took a step forward and let his rear fall on the cushion beneath him. He stared at the cook for a long moment, taking in the blond's peaceful breathing, his slightly parted lips which were still a bit chapped and pale and his angular cheekbones which were now growing back their natural color.

Zoro leaned slightly forward, his right hand reaching out beside the cook's face and his thumb gently caressing the blond's cheek. "Hey. You better wake up early, idiot cook," the swordsman spoke quietly. "I have loads to say to you and to your stupid curly eyebrows."

The blond's head tilted slightly to the side, his cheek pressing a bit more against the swordsman's palm as his chest rose to take in a deep breath and then settled down into its normal breathing pattern after a while.

The swordsman's grey eye warmed with affection. He felt like his chest was about to explode at his yearning to drag the cook out of this terrible state. He wanted to see the cook's beautiful blue eye as it robbed Zoro's breath away; he wanted to see him smiling brightly under the sunlight; he wanted to feel the silkiness of the cook's blond strands between his fingers as they glimmered under the moonlight; he wanted to touch the cook's soft lips as his hot breaths tingled his caressing thumb.

But most of all, Zoro wanted to feel the cook's warmth inside his strong, protective arms.

With all the emotions dwelling inside the swordsman, the man leaned down and placed a soft kiss between the blond's eyebrows. His lips lingered longer than they had to, but when he pulled back, he stayed close to the blond.

"You need to wake up, Cook," Zoro said softly with his low baritone as his thumb continued to caress the cook's cheek. "I still have to tell you how I feel."

-TBC

* * *

**This unique and wonderful art is made by[anytramaksnisic](http://anytramaksnisic.tumblr.com)!**

**Visit her tumblr to view more of her works and gif. :)**

_You are sick, Cook._

_It is not a sickness._

 


	19. Closer

**Chapter 19: Closer**

 

Zoro blinked blearily at the darkness, his shoulders and legs stiff for sleeping against the wall across the room. The swordsman straightened up, putting a hand behind his neck and bending it testily to put the circulation back.

With a sigh, Zoro heaved himself up, dragging his swords with him and securing them in a reassuring place inside his waistband. He needed a drink. Well, he wanted a sake but he doubted that there was one in this place. A glass of water would do for his parched throat.

Zoro walked toward the door, his eye never leaving Sanji's quiet and calmly breathing form, and was very much reluctant to leave the blond alone in this desolate room. His protective instinct told him to stay because something might happen again, that their enemies were just waiting for him to drop his guard down and leave the blond alone before finally making their move.

Zoro knew he was being paranoid, but he couldn't help it. After everything that happened today – to Sanji and to his son – he felt so responsible and overprotective toward the two. He wouldn't tell Sanji about that though. The blond would be pissed off and kick his ass for that.

After debating about leaving or not for a few minutes more, Zoro finally conceded to his physiological need when he tried to swallow but ended up with an itch down his throat instead. He opened the door, careful enough not to cause any additional stress to Sanji, and traversed the corridor with the sole purpose of getting his thirst quenched and going back to the bedroom as soon as possible. Getting slightly annoyed at how confusing the small two-storey house could be, he eventually found his way to the kitchen.

As he stomped a booted foot on the wooden floor, Zoro immediately sensed two familiar presence around him. His grey eye flicked on the crouched figure of Sora in front of the refrigerator. She was silently talking to the other one, her eyebrows knotted in worry and eyes slightly drowsy from sleep.

As Zoro neared them, he noticed that Sora was actually crouching in front of a tiny gap. The teenager looked up in initial alarm but immediately faded when she noted the swordsman's approaching form. "Zoro-san," she said.

Zoro's eye trailed from her to the small crouched figure situated inside the tiny gap between the refrigerator and the counter. Sora stared at the kid worriedly. "He's like this whenever he has a nightmare. He'd either go to Sanji-san's side or here," Sora explained, indicating the small gap which was serving as the kid's safe haven right now.

It was as if Zoro forgot everything about his thirst as he took a few steps forward – Sora standing up to give the man his righteous place – and bent down low to level his gaze with his son, who was tucking his head between his arms and keeping his knees close to his body.

"I'll leave him to you, Zoro-san." Sora didn't wait for Zoro to answer before she turned around and made her way out of the kitchen.

"Hey," Zoro spoke softly, careful not to startle the child. When Kaitarou didn't respond, Zoro moved closer and took a firmer look on his son. "Hey, kid, what's wrong?"

Kaitarou shook his head on his arms. With a sigh, Zoro scratched the back of his neck to mull over his next words. What would the cook say in this situation? Zoro wasn't well with kids; it was the cook. He didn't have any sibling and hadn't taken care of a kid before aside from that horrendous moment in Water 7 where he was forced by a fat ogre of a woman to baby-sit some orphaned children and babies.

It was fucking obnoxious and Zoro would do anything to not experience the same hell again.

Except that this time was different. He had a _son_ – someone he would have to take care of for the rest of his damn life. He had to know his way on how to handle things with his kid especially if they were apart for a few years and the kid had never seen him before until about one week ago. As awkward as it might, the great swordsman would need to learn how to be a good father to his son.

"You had a nightmare?" the man asked.

The boy peeked through his arm and Zoro was slightly taken aback by the depths of blue on the kid's eyes. Kaitarou nodded briefly before directing his eyes on Zoro's feet. His little arms shivered with slight trepidation about the fear of the unknown, about his bad dream which was kept at bay by his strong sanity. But Kaitarou was still a fledgling, too young to embrace the harsh reality of life and yet, yesterday happened.

In his son's withdrawn form, Zoro could see his past self—the few years old Zoro who was sitting alone beside a wooden pillar in an old dojo, watching the raindrops as they plummeted on the wet soil, and thinking if his parents had ever wanted him or not. In Kaitarou, Zoro could see himself before he fought Kuina and afterwards lost her, before he took possession of Wado and swore to its fine blade that he would be strong and be the greatest swordsman in the world.

Zoro wouldn't let his son fight his own nightmares alone like what he did. He knew how hard it was to stand on his own at a very young age. It took a lot of volition and pertinacity to keep from being dented by the pressures and lashes of life — of unwavering fortitude to keep him fighting for his dream.

"You wanna talk about it?" Zoro offered.

Kaitarou shook his head and rubbed a hand over his right eye. Zoro could see the sleepiness on that blue orb, but anxiety and distress seemed to keep the kid conscious. With furrowed eyebrows, Zoro said, "Want to sleep together?"

At that, the young boy tipped his head up, eyes locking innocently with his father's. "I want," the boy confessed.

The swordsman's lips curved into a lopsided smile. "Then what are you waiting for?"

The kid's blue eyes lit up like what Zoro had said had been the most incredible thing that he'd heard in his life. Kaitarou crawled out from the gap, toward Zoro's crouching figure and extended his arms to his father's neck.

The swordsman held the kid under his armpits and with a slight grunt hefted up his son, his left forearm supporting the kid's buttocks as his right arranged the hilt of his swords so they wouldn't prod the kid as they walked.

Kaitarou planted his cheek on the swordsman's shoulder and closed his eyes, letting himself be lulled by his father's booted footsteps on the floorboards and by the man's natural warmth which made the kid nuzzle on Zoro's shoulder.

When they reached the bedroom, Zoro opened and closed the door quietly when he sensed that no one else was inside the room. Zoro glanced at Sanji once more before taking his comfortable spot beside the doorway. The swordsman positioned his kid between his thighs, reminiscing the familiarity of such closeness with his son from that moment on the passenger ship. Kaitarou curled on himself, placing his head on his dad's chest as Zoro bent his right knee to make the kid more comfortable.

Zoro touched the small gauze on the kid's cheek where he was scratched from tripping over during the commotion earlier. "Does it hurt?" Zoro asked silently.

The kid yawned and shook his head lightly. The swordsman chuckled; there was just something soothing and endearing about it as he looked at his sleepy son. It was as if the kid was breaking every stoic wall he had built around himself and filled the gaps with nothing but warmth and affection.

"Come on," Zoro coaxed as he wrapped an arm around his son, "Sleep well, kid."

* * *

Zoro blinked himself awake. He was very much aware of the stiffness crawling around his neck and on his shoulders but he had slept too many times sitting up like this that he hardly gave a damn about it.

The swordsman yawned and blinked the morning tears away from his eye. When he noted the familiar presence against him, he looked down to see if his son was still sleeping. Instead, his eye widened a bit and his head jolted back in surprise, hitting the wall behind him and giving a pained grunt as a small bump would probably swell because of it.

With hand rubbing the back of his head, the swordsman cracked his eye to his son, who was still staring up at him with widely awake blue eyes. "Don't stare at me like that, kid," Zoro said with a sigh.

But when Kaitarou didn't tear his eyes away from him, he lifted his left hand and flicked his son's forehead lightly with his thumb and middle finger. Kaitarou made a sound before rubbing his forehead with both hands. Zoro laughed when he saw a pout slowly twisting his son's face.

"Don't stare at people like that. You'll end up scaring them," Zoro said with an amused grin on his mouth. Not like he cared actually. He'd been scaring people ever since he remembered and one scowl from his hard exterior would make any kid cry and run for their lives.

Well, not his kid, who stared at him like he was some kind of a fun display in a festival or something.

After rubbing his forehead, Kaitarou tipped his head up to Zoro with that perplexed look on his face. "Daddy."

"Hm?" Zoro hummed.

"Why is your hair green?"

Zoro opened his mouth to say something but the word died on his mouth. "Ah. Well, uh…" Zoro ran a hand through his hair, feeling a few strands lock with his fingers as he contemplated what to say.

"Is it grass?" the kid asked again.

The swordsman's eye rolled to the side as his hand scratched his head and tried to rack his brain for an explanation. How the fuck would he know? "It's, uh… Well, you know…"

A snort caused every motion inside the room to stop. The swordsman's eye trailed up slowly until his point of vision landed on the smirking blond lying on the bed. "Papa!" Kaitarou almost jumped from Zoro's hold and immediately ran toward his father's side.

Zoro could swear that his heart stopped for a second when he saw the blond smiling behind the back of his hand. Kaitarou propped his elbows on the bed as he smiled happily to his father. Sanji put a hand on his son's head and reciprocated a smile which made Zoro's heart melt in varying degrees.

"Cook," he breathed out as pieces of his equanimity started returning to him.

The blond's blue eye shifted from his son to Zoro. As if on cue, a strange flutter settled on Zoro's stomach, twisting and turning his insides like a burning magma which caused his system to fire up. "Hey," Sanji uttered with a tinge of hoarseness in his voice.

Zoro sprung up on his feet. "I'll call Vallo." Before the cook could say anything further, Zoro felt himself fleeing the room, his heart beating loudly inside his chest as he rushed through the corridor and shouted Vallo's name.

"Zoro?"

The swordsman stopped when Usopp appeared from the kitchen's doorway. "The cook's awake," he said and Usopp's eyes widened at the declaration. Without further ado, the sharpshooter immediately sprinted toward Sanji's bedroom as Zoro made his way to the living room.

When Zoro finally saw the man he was looking for, Vallo turned his head away from the conversation he was having with a familiar-looking man. The two men moved to face Zoro's direction. But before either of them could speak up, Zoro said at once, "He's awake."

The two had their eyes bulged from their sockets and they immediately walked toward Sanji's bedroom. "Sanji!" Vallo exclaimed as the door to the blond's bedroom flipped open. The doctor instantly questioned Sanji about his condition, what he was currently feeling or if he was in pain or whatnot.

Usopp carried Kaitarou and stood at the foot of the bed to give Vallo the space he needed to tend to Sanji's wounds.

"Sanji," the guest said and made his way to the blond, leaving Zoro standing awkwardly at the doorway.

"Dan," Sanji smiled.

"Are you okay?" the man asked and both got lost in their own conversation. A moment later, Sora was rushing to the room and holding Sanji's hand in tremendous relief.

Zoro shifted on the balls of his feet for a few times, weighing his options for a span of seconds, before finally submitting to the awkward feeling in his gut. Turning on his heels, Zoro began to walk idly from the doorway, but before he could manage another step, a voice halted the swordsman's movement on the spot.

"Zoro," Sanji called him. When Zoro didn't turn his head around, the blond added, "Stay."

The swordsman's breath hitched in his throat as all the buzz in the room died down with Sanji's words. Sensing the tension and Sanji's request to have a moment alone with the other man, Vallo carefully pulled the needle out of Sanji's hand. "You'll be fine, Sanji. You heal faster than I thought," Vallo said as he wrapped a gauze on the puncture wound at the back of Sanji's hand.

"Can I sit?" Sanji asked. The blond saw the debate in the other man's eyes, but Sanji insisted. "I'll be fine."

After a moment of pondering, the man gave in to his request with a sigh. "Fine. But call me when you feel weird, okay?"

After the blond nodded, Sanji propped his elbows behind him and was rewarded with a sharp pain on his left shoulder and thigh. Oh, yeah. Fuck. He was shot twice. Great. The blond hissed in pain which made Vallo contest to the idea, but the blond just shook his head, telling him that he was fine. He let the other man help him up until his back was leaning against the headboard.

"I'll prepare breakfast for you, Sanji-san," Sora said and Sanji gladly accepted and thanked her for it.

All the people in the room walked past Zoro who was now standing inside the room beside the doorway. When the door was shut and the last footfalls of their companions faded at the end of the corridor, silence prevailed inside the room.

Zoro could hear the light shuffles of the cover as the blond shifted to a more comfortable position. "You look stupid there. Come here," the blond said and tried to make a rise out of Zoro but the swordsman just continued to stare down on the wooden floor, unsure of what to say to the blond now that he was sitting there on the bed, alive and starting to spout insults at him.

Sanji noticed Zoro's reluctance and with a sigh, the blond scratched the back of his neck. "I still can't talk loudly, Marimo. It's taxing. Get your ass over here."

After a few seconds, the blond saw Zoro moved and started walking toward him. The swordsman stopped beside his bed and without looking at the blond, turned around and sat at the edge of Sanji's bed. His elbows were propped on his thighs as his eye still lingered on the floor.

"How're you feeling?" the man finally asked.

"Like shit," the blond responded. "It hurts like a bitch but I can manage."

Sanji waited for Zoro to say something but the man was just good at keeping his emotion and words at bay. "Hey, Marimo," he began, "I, uh…" Sanji's cheeks heated up and the bridge of his nose scrunched briefly as he tried to hide his embarrassment. "Thanks. For helping me, I mean. Not that I needed it or anything."

The swordsman's shoulders tensed for a brief second before he spoke up. "Nah. It's fine."

A moment of silence passed between them that Sanji could almost hear his rising pulse. The blond opened his mouth, but whatever he was about to say was stopped by Zoro's voice. "Cook."

Sanji swallowed. "Hm?"

"A few years ago, when we had that fight at the back of the Sunny, where I punched you," the swordsman uttered and Sanji started to reminisce that painful memory. If he were asked, he didn't want to remember that scenario ever again.

"Were you…" the swordsman halted and Sanji saw Zoro's fingers bend restlessly between his thighs. "Were you pregnant that time?"

The words hit Sanji like a rock. His hearbeats escalated a few meters up and he was not fucking sure if telling Zoro the truth would make the man feel worse. It would. Sanji knew Zoro would blame himself for it if he told him that he was pregnant that time – when Zoro was trying to pry his arms away from his abdomen, to keep him from protecting his unborn child from his punches, and was dangerously close to killing his own son.

The blond fisted the covers and uncertainty was oozing out of every pore of his body. When Sanji didn't respond, Zoro looked over his shoulder and his face told Sanji that the man understood his silence. "You were," the man uttered quietly and Zoro turned his head away from the blond.

Sanji saw the grief on Zoro's features as his back and arms went rigid and his fingers dug on his palms painfully. "Zoro." Sanji leaned forward and placed a hand on the man's biceps. He could clearly feel the tension enveloping the other man, the sudden dawn of realization and horror as he berated himself for his mistake.

"I almost killed him," Zoro said lowly, shutting his eye down to suppress the guilt and anger that were starting to well up inside him.

"You didn't know. I didn't tell you. It's not your fault," Sanji assured the other man, hoping that it would somehow ease Zoro's self-deprecation.

"I'm still far too weak," the swordsman uttered. "I didn't even know that something's wrong with you, why you acted like you did and why you weren't able to fight like you used to. You're my nakama and I was supposed to help you."

Sanji breathed deeply. "It's not your fault," he said again. "I was the one who decided not to tell you anything. You wouldn't do it if you knew. It was my fault, not yours."

"Stop trying to make me feel good, Shitty Cook," the man answered. "I know when I made a mistake. And I shouldn't have punched you like that."

Sanji decided to drop the subject. He knew how stubborn Zoro could be when he felt that it was his fault. He would blame himself for it; that was how kind his nakama was. No matter how stoic and rigid he was, Zoro would always have that soft and kind spot inside his heart.

The blond pulled his hand away from Zoro's arm. "Then," he began, "I'm sorry too."

At that, the man's eye opened and he turned his head to face the cook. The blond's eyebrows were pulled together and the look of pure culpability was reflected on his pale face. "I'm sorry for imposing this sudden responsibility on you. It's unfair for me to make you accept Kaitarou so easily. It was hard for me to digest the fact that I was indeed pregnant – it was just so fucked up – then here I am, asking you to suddenly bear with the fact that you have a son. I just don't want Kaitarou to be sad, or to grow up further without you by his side now that you've seen each other. But my last words still stand."

The cook met his gaze. "I mean it when I said that you don't have to be with me, Zoro. I know it will be too difficult for you. You're free to do whatever you want, to be with whomever you want, but I just want you to be there for Kaitarou. That's my only request."

Sanji knew he was killing himself. But that was what he was feeling right now. He didn't want to bind the other man to him just because they had a son. Zoro was free to choose whoever he wanted to give his heart to. Sanji wouldn't let his nakama suffer from his selfishness. Not in a million years.

Zoro shifted on the bed, the cushions responding to his weight, as the swordsman partially flipped his body to face Sanji. "Cook," the man said seriously. "Do you love me?"

Sanji felt that his heart just dropped from his chest. His cheeks flushed because of Zoro's sudden confrontation as he felt panic settle in his system. The need to flee the room at once and evade the question hyped every fiber in his body. "I–" the blond stuttered as his eye tore away from Zoro in embarrassment and his hands fisted anxiously on the covers. "I, ah, um–"

Sanji breathed in deeply and tried to calm down his rapidly beating heart. "Zoro, you see…"

"Cook."

The blond looked up slowly to meet the man's grey eye. Zoro was staring at him seriously. And when Zoro spoke, Sanji was sure that his whole world just stopped and all that he could see was the man right in front of him.

"I love you."

Sanji gasped in surprise. His heart thundered inside his chest a few miles more and his palms were sweating helplessly on the bed covers. It was as if his speech was taken away from him, his thinking blown away by Zoro's words and his reasoning shut down by the reality of what Zoro had just said.

"Z-Zoro," he stammered out. "If… If you're saying this because you pity me, then I _swear_ I will kick your ass–"

"I _don't_ ," Zoro said firmly with eyebrows pulled down into a frown. "I mean what I said. And I never back down on my words."

A breath hitched inside Sanji's throat again and his chest was brimming with warmth and tangled up emotions that Sanji was worried for a moment that he would burst because of it. The blond lifted his arm and rested his forehead against the back of his hand, trying to regain his composure and to digest everything that was happening right now.

Sanji gasped when he felt a strong, calloused hand grip his wrist, lowering his hand from his face and meeting his eye halfway with unspoken words ready to be released any moment. "I've always felt this way about you, but I tried to deny it. You're my rival and you're fucking annoying. I've felt this way ever since I met you, but I didn't know what to call this strange feeling because I've never loved someone before."

Zoro paused. "I thought that what I've felt for you was a nakama thing. But when you were shot, bleeding to death inside my arms, it felt so fucking real that I panicked. That was the time when I realized." Zoro's eye grew darker. "That I was scared to lose you."

If Sanji's heart could beat any faster than its current state, then the blond would surely die of a heart attack. And that was what Sanji felt right now. He felt that he could die any moment now because of Zoro's fucking confession and it was making Sanji's head spin.

"You said that I'm free to choose whoever I want to love. And now, I'm choosing you, Cook."

Sanji shut his eyes tightly, wishing that he could somehow take a break from this whirlwind of emotions, when Zoro's other hand touched his cheek. "Cook. Look at me," Zoro said. Sanji did and his heart jumped at the soft look on Zoro's face. "Tell me you love me."

"Z-Zoro…" Sanji's hand clenched to steady himself. As he tried to push the words out, the blond felt like his whole being was being unraveled by Zoro's presence. "Zoro," he began as he looked at the man's eye. "I love–"

The swordsman lunged forward, gripping both sides of Sanji's head and smashing his lips over the blond's. Zoro planted his right knee on the bed, the cushion sinking under his weight as he towered over Sanji. The blond gasped in surprise and his hands found the thick black fabric of Zoro's coat because he needed to hold onto something or he would fall into a chasm of untethered emotions.

Zoro licked Sanji's lower lip as he begged for entrance. When the blond gave in, Zoro took this opportunity to revel his tongue inside the blond's mouth, licking, kissing, tasting and sucking the life out of Sanji until the blond trembled on his hold on the swordsman's clothes.

The swordsman pulled away for a moment to shower soft kisses on cook's short sideburn. "Fuck, Cook," Zoro muttered and his breath tickled Sanji's ear which caused a shudder to run down Sanji's spine. "What the hell have you done to me?"

The blond released a soft moan at that. Zoro kissed his way back to Sanji's lips, planting brief kisses on his cheek, to the side of his mouth, before the man's lips finally settled on his. Zoro smelled rich and wonderful – a mixture of sweat, the ocean and a musk that was just intrinsically Zoro.

The blond hooked an arm around Zoro's neck, making the other man tumble down with him on the bed and blindly minding the pain that shot through his shoulder when they both collided with the soft cushion. The swordsman gave a low grunt at Sanji's sudden action but the blond kept his lips close to the man's cheek and whispered near his ear. "Damn Marimo."

The blond nimbled on Zoro's earlobe, teeth grazing the skin lightly and taking a golden earring into his mouth which caused the man to groan breathily on his shoulder.

"Fuck." The swordsman hooked a hand on Sanji's arm around his neck and began kissing the blond's jaw which made Sanji gasp in surprise. "Shitty Cook," he murmured on the blond's skin.

Sanji chuckled and the man stopped to pull away slightly. "What?" he asked frowning.

The blond shook his head with that amused smile still on his lips. "Nothing." Sanji kissed the tip of Zoro's nose. "Just thinking how obedient you are right now."

"Ah?!" The swordsman lifted himself up, his hands planted beside Sanji's head. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Sanji laughed loudly and the swordsman's frown grew deeper. "Nothing. Nothing. Don't mind me. Come here." The blond reached up, putting his good arm around the swordsman's neck again, and pulled him down against him. When the swordsman gave an annoyed grunt, the blond chuckled at Zoro's stupid excuse of defiance because the man didn't give any sign of pulling away from Sanji's embrace.

"Stupid cook," the swordsman said with false irritation.

The blond grinned and tightened his hug around Zoro's neck. "Stop whining, idiot."

-TBC


	20. What Matters Most

**Chapter 20: What Matters Most**

 

“Come on, Marimo. Get your fucking arm off.”

Zoro grunted and kept his arm tighter around Sanji’s waist. The blond rolled his eyes at the lazy bastard currently sleeping on his bed. After their hot make-out session, the Marimo rolled beside him and tugged Sanji against him, trapping the blond inside his muscled arms and with a freaking leg thrown over his thighs to keep him in place.

Sanji could sense two familiar auras approaching the room and the damn moss ball here wouldn’t budge and snap out of his stupid nap. “Someone’s coming, dickhead. You can sense them, right? Now, fuck off,” Sanji hissed and tried to wriggle out of the swordsman’s hold. If it weren’t for his wounds, he would be kicking this shithead now.

A knock on the door stopped Sanji from moving. “Sanji-san? I’m coming in,” Sora said from the other side. Sanji’s heart rate sped up and his brain panicked and tried to formulate different excuses that he could tell to Sora when she found him and Zoro tangled on the bed.

The knob turned and Sanji was about to push Zoro away when the swordsman pulled his arms from the blond’s waist and sat up so fast that his action would look like a blur to a normal person’s eyes. When the door opened, Sanji was still recovering from the sudden barrenness of warmth that made him so comfortable a few seconds ago.

“Sanji-san,” Sora spoke as she walked toward the bed with Dan holding a tray beside her. “Dan-san made breakfast for you.”

Zoro stood up, cracking his neck in the process and giving out a loud yawn as he walked idly away from the bed. This jerk.

Dan occupied Zoro’s space at the edge of the bed, balancing the tray on his thighs as he looked at Sanji with slight worry on his coffee-colored eyes. “How’re you feeling?” he asked.

“Fine,” Sanji answered, his blue eye landing briefly on Zoro who was now standing a few feet away from them and looking bored with his arms crossed above his firm chest.

“I cooked this for you, though it may not be as good as your food. But it will suffice at the moment, I think.” The man chuckled and Sanji pushed himself up on the bed to sit. Dan positioned the tray on Sanji’s lap and the blond inhaled the rich aroma of hot porridge in front of him.

“Thank you,” the blond said as he took the spoon and dipped it on the food. After blowing a few times to cool it down, the blond tasted the porridge and the mixture rolled on his tongue like magic. Dan wasn’t a chef, but boy the man could cook. Sanji admitted that the man’s skill as a baker was commendable and that Sanji would recommend him to any establishment looking for a fine cook or bread-maker.

Dan eyed him expectantly and after chewing on it for a few seconds, the blond swallowed and smiled to the man, “It’s good.”

The tension on the man’s shoulders wore off, like a breath that he had been holding was finally released out of his lungs because of Sanji’s approving words. “I’m glad you liked it,” Dan said, smiling.

“I’m going now, Sanji-san,” Sora said. “I’m helping my dad downstairs. Tell us if you need anything.” After Sanji thanked the girl, Sora excused herself and made her way out of the room.

Zoro stood there, watching the blond and the black-haired guy converse and occasionally laugh at each other’s petty remarks. The swordsman thought about the closeness between the two and he could see that Sanji had warmed up to this guy. He seemed comfortable with the other man’s company and a tinge of annoyance settled on Zoro’s gut because of that.

The swordsman’s eyebrow twitched when Dan placed a hand comfortably on Sanji’s good shoulder. What Zoro found more disturbing about it was that the cook didn’t even flinch and continued to laugh stupidly at the man’s fucking joke.

After a few exchange of words, Dan stopped for a moment and pointed awkwardly at Sanji’s face. “Uh, Sanji, you have–” The blond furrowed his forehead in confusion, but before he could comprehend what the other man meant, Sanji felt the man’s thumb beside his mouth as he wiped the remnants of the porridge beside his lips.

Sanji froze at the touch and he couldn’t quite wrap his head about what just happened. The blond saw Zoro moved through his peripheral vision. The swordsman’s body was tense and his scowl grew deeper like the one he usually gave to an opponent.

Dan smiled at Sanji’s surprised expression. “I need to go help Vallo-san and Usopp. We’re repairing the house. Call me if you need anything.” The man stood up and walked away before Sanji could formulate a reply.

The swordsman kept a straight face as the other man approached, firmly maintaining his stance and emitting indifference toward the whole situation. Zoro sensed the man throw a brief glance at him before he completely left the room. His fingers prodded on his biceps in annoyance. He could sense a strange aura radiating from the man – like the guy was silently spouting a challenge to Zoro.

“Have you eaten?”

The swordsman’s eye shifted to the blond and he felt his frown slackened after a while. “No,” he replied shortly.

“Then go down and eat something, idiot,” Sanji said, taking a spoonful of that much hated porridge.

“I’ll stay here,” the swordsman said firmly.

“I can protect myself, blockhead. I don’t need your ass worrying for me.”

“I’m not worrying!” the swordsman exclaimed, his arms unfolding from his chest and taking a firm place beside him. “Who’s gonna worry for your shitty ass, Idiot Cook?”

The blond smirked. “Then get the hell out of here and eat at the kitchen, Damn Marimo.” The swordsman was about to argue something or perhaps spat a terrible insult when Sanji spoke, “While you’re there, make sure Kaitarou’s eating well.”

Whatever the swordsman had to say died down in his throat. The two men exchange glances for several seconds before Zoro pulled away with a heavy sigh. “Just sleep your damn life away today, got that, Curlybrow?”

Sanji wanted to laugh at Zoro’s cute display of worried behavior and at his poor choice of words. The man was undoubtedly worried about him but he didn’t know how to break that news to the blond without embarrassing himself. Thus Sanji gave him a dismissive wave and a bored expression. “Yeah. Yeah. Go down and choke on your food, idiot.”

* * *

That annoying, dark-haired bastard had been cooking their meals for two days now. The cook was in a strict bed-rest as per advised by Vallo, and Dan had been bringing Sanji’s food every mealtime. Zoro’s patience was wearing thin, especially every time the man got too familiar with the blond.

The swordsman walked toward the sink, his heavy boots thudding on the wooden floor and his swords clattering against each other in every step. Sora’s hands stopped from scrubbing when she noticed the man’s presence beside her.

Lifting her head up, the girl asked, “Can I help you with something, Zoro-san?”

The swordsman rested his arm on his swords strapped securely on his right hip. “How long have you known that Dan guy?”

Sora seemed slightly taken aback by the man’s sudden question, but after regaining herself, she said, “For five years now, I think. We’ve known him longer than Sanji-san.”

“Where did he come from?”

“Well,” Sora started to say, “he was a former slave from a faraway country. When he was able to escape, he ended up here on this island. We’ve known him for a few years now but when our business grew, thanks to Sanji-san, Dan-san started working for us. He’s in his second year now.”

Zoro’s eye narrowed a fraction. “How do you know you can trust him?”

“I know,” Sora reasoned. “Because I’ve seen his memory.”

The swordsman couldn’t argue with that. If this girl had seen his memory, then the bastard must be telling the truth. “Why do you ask, Zoro-san?” the teenager asked.

With an expressionless face, the swordsman shook his head. “Nothing.” Zoro turned around and walked away before the girl could ask any further. He wasn’t in the mood to be pressed about something, particularly if he was feeling pissed at a certain man without any reason.

Was he jealous?

No. FUCKING HELL NO. He wasn’t fucking jealous at that bastard. For fuck’s sake.

Zoro wanted to go back to Sanji’s room, but instead of finding the stairs, the green-haired man ended up in the small baking area of the house. And irritatingly enough, he was greeted by the one person he wanted to see _last_ in his list of people.

The man arched an eyebrow at Zoro, who was blocking the doorway with his muscled built. The swordsman’s eye dropped on the man’s hand which was holding a piece of circular bread wrapped neatly in thin, transparent plastic.

“Excuse me,” Dan said.

“Is that for the cook?” Zoro asked.

The man eyed him for a moment before saying, “Yes. It’s for Sanji.”

“I’ll give it to him.” Zoro reached out for the bread but the man raised his hand, letting Zoro’s hand slip and gripped the air instead.

 Dan’s dark brown orbs bore into Zoro’s with a hint of menace and irascibility. He was emitting a contemptuous aura that had Zoro standing in alertness. “I will give this to him,” the man said in a low, stern voice.

The swordsman’s eyebrows furrowed at the man’s persistent manner. “Stop involving yourself with the cook.”

“Why?” the man said and took a step closer to Zoro. “Are you with him?”

The words hung around Zoro’s tongue, threatening to spill the truth out and to have the bastard in front of him choke with the reality of it. But Zoro wasn’t able to talk. He knew to himself that he certainly loved the blond, but admitting it to other people was another thing. He had confessed to Sanji merely two days ago without flinching but here he was now, unable to utter a single word at the man’s question.

“Do you even love him?” Dan asked further. When the swordsman didn’t respond, the man said, “Because I _do_. For two years now.”

Something snapped inside Zoro – something fragile and uptight that he just found his hand gripping the man’s collar and pulling him forcefully toward him. “What did you say?” Zoro hissed.

Dan frowned and gripped Zoro’s balled fist on his shirt. “I said I love Sanji.”

A dangerous growl came out of Zoro’s mouth and he flung the man against a nearby wall, knocking the air out of his lungs due to the sudden impact and causing the bread to drop on the wooden floor. Zoro pressed his arm against the man’s throat and glowered at him like a wild animal. “Stay away from the cook,” he threatened in a low voice.

The man looked strained under the swordsman’s immense strength and power but he tried to force a scowl to match Zoro’s deathly glare. “You can’t tell me what to do.” Dan clenched his hand tightly on Zoro’s black coat. “I won’t give Sanji to a bastard who can deny him anytime for convenience.”

The swordsman’s eyebrow twitched at the man’s words. He shouldn’t be affected by it. He _loved_ the cook. He _told_ him that he loved him. But why did the man’s words hit something deep inside him?

Would Zoro really deny the cook when he was under the pressure of other people, let alone his nakama? How would he even break to them that he and the cook were now together? What would they think? Would they accept them? Would they approve?

The reality seemed to strike Zoro all at once that his strong grip on the man’s shirt slackened every passing second. Dan felt Zoro’s tenacity slipping away bit by bit which rekindled his courage to shove away the swordsman’s hand.

Finally free from the powerful clutch, Dan narrowed his eyes at Zoro. “ _You_ stay away from Sanji. He’s wonderful, and he doesn’t deserve half-hearted emotions from a bastard like you.”

Dan broke himself free from the swordsman’s space and bent down to retrieve the piece of bread from the floor. Without another word, the man departed from the room and left Zoro standing there alone with his heart and thoughts in disarray.

* * *

It was nighttime when Zoro entered Sanji’s room. The blond was already sleeping on his bed as a small oil lamp served as illumination in the four-walled chamber. Zoro approached the bed in hushed steps, his right hand gripping his swords to avoid any rattling noise that might wake the other man up.

Zoro was staring down at the cook’s pale face when he felt his heart leapt and spread warmth along his chest. He wanted to shout at the man for making him feel this way. It was so messed up yet so fulfilling at the same time. He’d never been in love with anyone before, until this blond-haired bastard came and turned his life upside down.

Zoro took a deep breath to relax himself. When he turned around and was about to take a step, a hand gripped his wrist which effectively stop whatever his next action would be.

“So, you sneak up on me now and go away without telling anything?”

Zoro heard the bed creak lightly under a shifting weight. Without turning his head, he spoke, “I’m going downstairs.”

If Zoro weren't a good warrior, then he would probably miss the light change of pressure of the hand around his wrist. “Why?” Sanji asked as he sat on the bed.

“I have something to do,” Zoro said, and he did. He needed to _think_ how he would tell his relationship with Sanji to other people. It was all very sudden that he couldn’t quite wrap his brain about the whole situation. He was the one who confessed first because he couldn’t contain his feelings for the cook any longer. But he still wasn’t prepared to tell his nakama about it – about them. He’d forgotten about that important detail because of his sudden surge of emotions. However, Zoro didn’t regret anything. He loved the cook, and it was just right to tell him how he felt. It felt so right at that moment that he just let himself submit to his sentiments.

“What is it?” the blond asked.

“Something,” the swordsman replied vaguely.

“What something? Be more specific, idiot.”

With a sigh, the swordsman turned his around to face the cook. “Stop asking, Shitty Cook. Why do you even want to know?”

Sanji clenched his hand tighter around the swordsman’s wrist. “You didn’t come back after you left this morning. Why?”

The swordsman averted his eye from the blond. “I did something.”

“You’ve been unusually quiet and in a sour mood these past two days. What happened?”

The swordsman closed his eye and expelled a breath. “Nothing. I need to do something so–”

“Are you regretting it?”

Zoro’s mouth remained suspended in the air. The blond looked at him with furrowed eyebrows and a certain emotion seemed to engulf the cook’s blue eye. “Are you having second thoughts?” the blond pressed.

The swordsman scrunched his forehead in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been watching me like a stupid hawk ever since I woke up. Then you suddenly disappeared this morning and was about to leave again a while ago before I stopped you. What’s gotten into you?” the blond asked, his eye desperately searching Zoro for some kind of explanation that would ease his concern.

The swordsman felt pressured under that seeking gaze and he averted his eye once more from the blond. “Nothing.”

Sanji’s long, slender fingers pressed on Zoro’s wrist for a moment, unsure of what to do, before finally loosening his grip and letting the man go. “You’re definitely regretting it,” he uttered silently as his blue eye fell on his lap.

The swordsman’s attention got caught by this and he turned around to be fully greeted by the blond’s dejected form. “Cook, it’s not–” he started but was immediately cut by the blond’s next words.

“Go. I don’t want to see you right now.” Sanji lay down on the bed, pulling the covers up and rolling to his side to give himself the privacy he needed.

Zoro stared at the cook’s back in shock and horror. “Cook,” he called out in panic. “It’s not like that. I’m not regretting anything.”

“Just go away.”

The swordsman swallowed and he could feel a pang of sadness inside his chest. “Cook,” he uttered, “I love you.”

He saw how the blond’s shoulder and back tensed at his words; how those three words meant something big and deep for the cook.

After a while, the blond spoke, “Don’t say something you’ll regret afterwards.”

_“I won’t give Sanji to a bastard who can deny him anytime for convenience.”_

Dan’s words rang in his ears, haunting him up to his very core and rattling him from the inside out. He had been a fool. He shouldn’t have fucking cared about what other people would think of them. He shouldn’t have left the cook because of his momentary confusion.

He _loved_ Sanji. That was what mattered and to hell with rest of them.

The blond felt the cushion sank behind him and at that realization, his eye widened and he flipped his body to yell at the swordsman for being so stubborn but instead, he was rewarded by a pair of lips pressing against his own.

Sanji’s heart thundered in his chest but he tried to put a hand between them. His attempt to push Zoro away was futile for the swordsman gripped his hand and pushed it above his head. Sanji gasped in response, which provided the perfect opportunity for the man to deepen the kiss.

The swordsman’s elbow propped on the pillow beside Sanji’s head as the cook’s free hand gripped on his sleeve. “Zoro,” the blond breathed on the swordsman’s lips.

Zoro pulled away just enough to look Sanji in the eye. “I don’t regret anything, Cook. I will _never_ regret anything.”

Sanji bit the inside of his cheek as he felt his skin flush at Zoro’s husky voice. The blond took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Then why have you been acting like an asshole?”

The blond expected Zoro to frown at that or even avert his eye, but the swordsman kept his gaze on Sanji, refusing to deflect his focus from the blond. Sanji felt bare and helpless under that beautiful grey eye. He was being drawn by that ashen orb that he found his breath hitching inside his throat.

“I was thinking what other people–our nakama–would think about us,” Zoro confessed.

“What?” Sanji said in slight shock.

“It’s stupid, I know. Don’t make me say it again.”

The blond frowned. “You shouldn’t think about shit like that.”

“I know,” Zoro said. “I had that figured out ten seconds ago.”

“So,” Sanji paused for a moment, his eye looking down briefly before finding its way back to Zoro, “you’re not having second thoughts? About us, I mean?”

“Of course not, Idiot Cook. Didn’t even cross my mind.” The swordsman gave Sanji a lopsided smile and the blond could swear that his heart just leapt out of his chest because of that.

The blond grinned. “Good,” he said as he set his wrist free from Zoro’s grip and put both of his hands on the swordsman’s cheeks. “Because I definitely won’t forgive you if you leave me hanging in the air.”

The swordsman laughed deeply and pressed a kiss on Sanji’s right palm. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Sanji bit his lower lip at how sexy and intimate Zoro could be. He wouldn’t imagine in a million years that his stoic and annoying nakama would be this gentle and devoted. Being the man’s subject of affection made Sanji swell up with pride and his insecurities to ebb away.

Zoro leaned down and pressed his lips on Sanji’s jaw, earning him a breathy gasp from the blond. His lips travelled downward, kissing, nipping and gently sucking the cook’s smooth, pale neck. The blond whimpered softly at how stimulating Zoro’s kisses could be.

The swordsman went further down until his lips found the blond’s clavicle. Sanji shivered lightly at the soft touch, especially when he felt Zoro’s hand slowly snaking inside his shirt. The man showered Sanji’s collarbone with soft kisses. When Zoro found the blond’s jugular notch, the swordsman immediately plunged his tongue into the attractive indentation which drew out a few curses from the blond’s mouth.

The reaction he got from the cook caused Zoro’s skin to tingle with want and desire. He needed to hear more from the cook; he wanted to make the blond raw and flushing under his kisses and touches; he wanted to unravel the cook thoroughly and leave him panting and breathless.

The cook was so perfectly made up that he wanted to make a complete mess out of him.

“Z-Zoro,” Sanji moaned breathily when he felt Zoro’s hand slowly travelling upwards, nearing his pectoral region and making him shiver slightly under the man’s heated palm. But when the blond shifted on the bed, a sharp pain coursed through his shoulder and thigh that had him gasping and choking on his breath.

Zoro instantly stopped and looked at the blond with furrowed eyebrows. “Cook?”

“Ah, shit.” The blond shut his eyes tightly. “These wounds really hurt like a bitch.”

The swordsman seemed to panic at that for he retracted his hand under Sanji’s shirt and gripped his arm instead. “Do you want me to call Vallo?”

The blond shook his head. “Nah. It’ll fade.” Damn his shot wounds to hell for ruining their perfect moment.

The swordsman seemed skeptical about it, but the man just sighed after a moment of internal debate. He rolled himself away from Sanji and settled on the blank space beside the blond. “Let’s just sleep then.”

“Oi. Who said you can sleep on my bed, Damn Mosshead?” Sanji said.

Zoro rolled his eye at the blond. “So damn noisy. Come here.” He pulled Sanji’s back against his body, tightening his hold around Sanji’s abdomen to keep the blond still.

“I’m not your fucking pillow,” the blond complained.

“Just shut up and sleep, Shitty Cook. I’m tired,” the swordsman said as he closed his eye.

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Sanji asked. “Is it okay for them to see us freaking tangled on the bed in the morning?”

Sanji heard a low grunt behind him. “Don’t care. Go to sleep.”

A smile crept on Sanji’s lips. When Zoro confessed to him two days ago, he tried to initially push the man away before Sora and Dan could find them hugging each other on the bed. The confession was still so fresh and everything was speeding up to an abnormal rate limit that Sanji panicked and resulted to grab the first instinctive option that he could have his hands on. But right after that, he didn’t give a damn anymore. He wouldn’t care if anyone saw them being intimate with each other. He loved Zoro, and Zoro loved him back. It’s between the two of them alone.

Thus when Zoro told him that he was worrying about what other people would think of their relationship, it made Sanji regret his prior action and wished that he should’ve just let Sora and Dan see them together squished on the same bed.

He thought that Zoro regretted his confession and probably willed to back down from his resolve. But the man stood firm on his words and made Sanji feel the truthfulness in them.

Sanji’s fingers found the back of Zoro’s hand on his abdomen, feeling the man’s sharp knuckles under his palm and interlocking his fingers with the swordsman’s. The man hummed lowly behind him and Zoro pulled the blond closer to him, aiming to eliminate as much space as he could.

Zoro was so warm and firm against his back – so comfortable and achingly familiar that Sanji found his whole body pacifying under the man’s influence and eventually lulling himself into a deep, peaceful sleep.

-TBC


	21. First Time

 

**Chapter 21: First Time**

 

Sanji awoke from the loud clatter of something heavy on the wooden floor. His eyes flew open, his instincts telling him to propel himself up but he was greeted instead by a strong arm around his hips. Sanji cursed quietly and perked his head up, only to find the very shocked expression of his nakama at the doorway.

Usopp had his mouth hanging open, his eyes bulging from their sockets and his limbs shaking like a scared cat in a back alley. The water soaked the wooden floor and the water basin rolled to the side, already forgotten because of his nakama's scandalous reaction.

The two men locked gazes for a moment, no one seeming to find the right words to initiate a conversation, an explanation or even an excuse. Sanji's eyes fell down on the Marimo's stupid sleeping face behind him. The bastard had a fucking drool beside his mouth, staining the bed sheet underneath and if Sanji wasn't annoyed enough, the Marimo's left arm was under his head and the idiot was snoring loudly like nothing happened five seconds ago.

"Oi, Marimo! Get off me!" Sanji tried to push Zoro's arm away but the man just grunted and pulled the blond closer to him like a freaking pillow and even had the balls to hop a leg over him!

"Fuck! Oi, wake up, stupid bastard!" Sanji tried to wriggle himself free from the man's vice-like limbs. It wasn't working though, for the man just mumbled something like 'Shut up, Shitty Cook' and 'So fucking noisy.'

Sanji felt his eyebrows twitch in annoyance and before he could stop himself, the blond instantly grabbed the pillow under his head and forcefully dumped the fucking thing on the swordsman's face. The blond pushed the pillow further down on Zoro's face and the swordsman withdrew his arms and leg away from Sanji in panic. Growling, Zoro snatched the pillow from Sanji's grip and hastily took a deep lungful of air after he was free from the blond's assault.

"What the fuck, Cook?!" the swordsman snarled.

Sanji rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed. "You sleep like a fucking dead hibernating moss ball." Sanji dangled his legs at the edge of the bed, his bare feet planting on the cold wooden floor, but before he could push himself up, a hand gripped his right arm which caused the blond to look over his shoulder.

Zoro was staring at him seriously when he said, "You can't."

It was cute actually, how worried Zoro was about him, but he couldn't give a damn about it right now, not when he had some explaining to do to his nakama. "I'm fine, Marimo." Sanji reached for Zoro's hand around his arm, gently peeling off the swordsman's fingers and brushing the man's knuckles with his thumb in unspoken assurance.

The small, intimate gesture seemed to calm the swordsman's down and he let Sanji go without another word. It felt kinda weird for Sanji, but also natural at the same time. He wasn't this intimate with the swordsman and it was funny how a gentle touch like this could make his heart tumble inside his chest.

Heaving himself up and disguising the pain that coursed through his shoulder and thigh with a brief crinkle of his nose, Sanji walked toward his nakama who was still standing at the doorway. The sharpshooter looked much saner now; nevertheless, he kept his eyes on the two men who, about merely a minute ago, were tangled on a same bed.

If Usopp's reaction didn't give away as to how much the people in this household knew about his and Zoro's sudden turn of relationship, then Sanji was one hundred and one percent sure the marimo had kept his lips tight about the matter.

"A-Ah. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha," Usopp laughed nervously and put a hand behind his head. "Sorry. Did I wake you guys up?"

Sanji shook his head. "Nah, it's fine."

"Then, uh," Usopp appeared uncertain for a brief second before finally crouching and picking up the forgotten water basin from the floor, "I'll… I'll just get a mop."

"Usopp."

The sharpshooter turned around but immediately jolted when Sanji called his name. He looked back at the blond, his eyes retaining their contact with Sanji's for a moment before awkwardly dropping to his feet. "I'm sorry," he uttered. "I didn't mean for my reaction to turn out as something bad. I was just… surprised."

Usopp knew that his two nakama liked each other for a long time. The whole crew undoubtedly thought the same. Every petty insult and trivial fight, as well as those brief, stolen glances when one thought that the other wasn't looking, anyone could tell that the two men held something _dear_ for each other. Sanji and Zoro were too stubborn to accept the fact that they were growing some feelings toward each other and were just too stubborn a thousand times more in denying what they honestly felt.

But that didn't prepare Usopp of what was to come. He was heading toward Sanji's room with a water basin to help the blond clean himself up because Vallo reminded them that Sanji couldn't take a full bath yet for his wounds were still fresh and healing.

Handling the water basin with a towel soaked in it, Usopp carefully turned the knob around and forced himself through the door, but before he could slip a word from his mouth, his eyes widened at the shocking display in front of him.

His hands slipped on the basin, spilling fresh water on the wooden floor. With mouth agape, the sharpshooter looked at his two nakama's _tangled_ form on the bed: Zoro was hugging Sanji from the back, a leg draped between Sanji's lower limbs and the two looked absolutely _intimately close_.

Usopp had never seen the two men this closely connected before. They fought whenever possible and they got into each other's skin every time. As Usopp took in the undeniable evidence that his nakama were indeed a couple now, he was left speechless and was unable to give anything away than just a purely _shocked_ reaction.

"Yeah, well," Sanji started to explain, his forefinger scratching his cheek apologetically, "we didn't tell you immediately. Sorry you have to see this."

"No! No, of course not! It's fine! It's really fine!" Usopp quickly replied with a wave of his hands. "I'm not against it or anything. I support you guys."

A smile tugged the corners of Sanji's lips. "Thanks," he said. "Is it… weird?"

Usopp considered this for a moment, scratching his chin thoughtfully with his fingers for a moment before finally sighing. "Well, if I wasn't with you guys long enough to witness your quarrels and how pissed you are with each other, then, yeah, it's kinda weird." Usopp laughed. "But the crew supports you two, you know that, right? We're nakama."

The blond chuckled at how honest and understanding Usopp was with the whole situation. He even assured him and Zoro that the crew would indisputably accept their newfound relationship. He was indeed grateful for that.

"Well, seeing that a gorgeous gentleman like me ended up with an idiotic, grouchy moss ball, then I couldn't actually be mad at you," Sanji said with a smug grin.

"Oi! I heard that, Curlybrow!" Zoro interrupted from his lazy position on the bed.

"Yeah! I was actually intending for you to hear it!" the blond replied loudly which made Usopp laugh in hysteria. The swordsman mumbled in annoyance, something between "Asshole cook" and "Shitty curly eyebrows" but Sanji was too immune from Zoro's little peevish complaints that he just rolled his eyes at the man.

"Oh, by the way, Sanji. If you can walk now, you better check the kitchen out," Usopp said with a gesture of his thumb. Smiling, he said, "Someone's preparing a meal for you."

It took a whole five minutes of shouting, kicking and arguing before the swordsman finally got his lazy ass off the bed. The idiot insisted to stay and sleep a little more, but Sanji wouldn't put up with something like that. No one should miss a meal while he was around. It was fucking eight in the morning and they should all be having breakfast by now.

Sanji and Zoro were bickering the whole way toward the kitchen. Usopp let out a sigh and shook his head. If he didn't know the two well enough, and if they hadn't confessed about their relationship a few minutes ago, then Usopp would probably assume that these two idiots were really trying to annoy the hell out of each other.

When they got into the kitchen, Vallo lifted his head up from the newspaper on his lap. His eyes widened when he saw Sanji and he immediately stood up to approach the blond. "Sanji!" he said. "You shouldn't be out of your bed–"

"I'm fine, Vallo-san," Sanji replied defensively with a smile on his face.

The man pondered on it for a second before finally giving in with a deep sigh. "Okay. Just don't move too much, okay? It might reopen your stitches."

"Yeah. Thanks." Sanji's blue eye landed on Sora who was busily stirring a pot of broth. But that wasn't what had Sanji's mouth hanging open – it was his _son_ , who was giving Sora a bowl of minced ingredients.

The teenager took the bowl and probably noticed Sanji's presence which made her turn her head around. "Sanji-san!" she spoke in surprise. "Are you okay? Should you be out of your bed?"

"Papa!" Kaitarou quickly ran toward Sanji, opening his arms widely, and the blond bent down instinctively to meet and wrap his son in a tight hug.

"Hey, sweetie," Sanji said as he kissed his son's temple.

"Papa! I'm cooking!" Kaitarou exclaimed happily as his big blue eyes locked with Sanji's. "Cooking!"

The blond laughed. "I can see that."

"Kaitarou's cooking breakfast for you, Sanji-san," Sora said as she approached them, drying her hands on a clean kitchen towel.

"Really?" Sanji asked. The blond smiled and tapped Kaitarou's nose playfully. "So, what do you have for me, little chef?"

Kaitarou beamed and snatched Sanji's hand, urging his father to come to the stove with him. The little kid climbed up on a chair and pointed at the steaming broth on the kitchen stove. "You're helping Sora-neechan?" Sanji asked.

Kaitarou nodded happily. "Yummy!"

Sanji laughed. "Want to help me finish cooking?"

When his son nodded again, Sanji positioned himself behind Kaitarou and gave his son the soup ladle, guiding the kid's movement as he stirred the rich broth. The blond added a few mix of spices which made the aroma even stronger. Not too long after, the blond sensed someone approaching beside him.

"Heh." Zoro looked down on the casserole, his arms folded and a smile tugging the corner of his lips.

"What, Marimo? Hungry?" the blond asked as he noticed the pleased look on the swordsman's face.

Zoro shrugged and watched Kaitarou stirring the broth as the cook guided his small hand. The kid looked so focused at what he was doing that Zoro just found himself chuckling lowly. "You've never said our son can cook."

The blond's stirring on the casserole halted, causing Kaitarou to look up to his father in question. "Papa?"

Sanji's hands trembled lightly for a moment. His heart skipped a beat inside his chest when Zoro regarded Kaitarou as “our son.” Sanji wasn't sure how those small words affected him so much. Heck, he should be flippant and used to it by now. But this was the first time that Zoro had said something like that and it had Sanji jolting and flushing slightly.

"Uh, well," Sanji spoke when he regained his composure. He started to move his son's hand, once again stirring the delicious broth in front of them. "He wasn't. I mean, he sometimes hangs around when I cook, but he hasn't cooked anything or helped me before. This is the first time."

A certain emotion flashed across Zoro's grey eye. The swordsman shouldn't be this thrilled to know that he finally witnessed something “first time” between the cook and their son. He had been away for almost four years, with his son growing up miles away from him, and Zoro wouldn't deny to himself that he'd hated the fact that he hadn't seen those few 'first times' of his son with the cook.

However, finally seeing one, the swordsman couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and unusually ecstatic. The smile on Zoro's face grew wider. Sanji noticed the weird light aura around the swordsman and with a frown of his eyebrows, the blond spoke, "What?"

Zoro shrugged again. "Nothing. Keep stirring."

A flush of embarrassment tinted Sanji's cheeks. "Wha–? I can't concentrate if you stare at me, idiot!"

"Papa!" Kaitarou called Sanji which made the blond sigh in defeat and to just ignore the bastard and continue his cooking. Zoro laughed at the poor sight which earned him a death glare from the cook.

"Daddy! Look!" the kid called to Zoro. "I'm cooking."

The swordsman's laughed at his son and nodded. "Yeah. You're doing great, kid."

A few feet away were their three companions, watching with smiles on their faces the close interaction of a complete, happy family. "I'm glad they got together," Vallo said.

Usopp nodded and grinned widely. "The crew will be thrilled to see them again! Nami and Robin will surely love that adorable kid!"

Sora laughed quietly on her hand. "So Usopp-san," she started and turned her emerald eyes on the sharpshooter. "When are you going to set sail?"

Usopp hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "We're still going to ask for Sanji's opinion, but Zoro and I decided to catch the passenger vessel in two days. We can't stay here much longer. We need to get back to the crew."

"Oh." Sora's eyes dropped on the floor. Her toes squirmed lightly on her slippers as her fingers fidgeted the fabric of her dress. "We'll miss Kaitarou and Sanji-san."

Vallo's features were downcast as well, his eyes looking at Sanji and Kaitarou like he was already longing for them. "They are _family_. We'll surely miss them."

Usopp empathized with Vallo and Sora. He knew how hard it was to say goodbye to someone he considered as family. It was hard for him and for the crew when Sanji decided to disembark from the ship, not knowing how long it would take or if they would see each other again.

When he decided to leave the crew way back in Water 7, his anger had taken over him and he didn't know how painful it was to separate with his newfound family until he was there at the dock, watching with tearful eyes how the Thousand Sunny sailed away without him. He didn't know how attached he had been to his crew until that moment came and he promised to himself that he would do anything to keep his nakama safe.

He was Usopp-sama after all! The greatest warrior of the sea and the pioneer of the great nation of Elbaf!

"You should come with us," Usopp said, making Vallo and Sora turn their heads toward him. "You can't stay on this island. We've somehow managed to drive those black market scouts away, but we don't know when they'll come back. It's too dangerous for you to stay here."

Sora put a hand on her father's arm, concern written all over her face as she waited for her father's decision. Vallo contemplated Usopp's suggestion for a moment, and when he finally found his resolve, he lifted his head up and looked at Usopp seriously.

"We'll leave this island," Vallo said. "But we won't come with you. We'll stay at Bartero. My father's working there."

"But, dad, it's dangerous there as well," Sora argued.

"I know, dear," Vallo said and caressed her daughter's ebony locks. "We'll just fetch your grandfather. We'll find another island after that."

Sora's hand tightened on his father's arm as she said quietly, "I'm scared."

"Don't be." Vallo turned and embraced her daughter, planting a kiss at the crown of her head. "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

* * *

The heavy rain plummeted on the wet loam. The dark clouds masked the moon's glow, blessing the land with dull and murky shadows.

 _He_ was looking through the window of an old abandoned shack, watching the piercing drops of rain shake the decrepit glass. The pistol on his right hand hummed, silently whispering to his soul its thirst for blood.

"What do we do to these worthless bastards, boss?"

He took his eyes off the window, slowly turning his head around to meet the frightened cowards knelt in front of him. "P-Please! Please don't kill me!" one of the battered men pleaded.

His subordinate kicked the man on the face, which made the coward to land face-first on the dirty wooden floor. The man's companions all gasped in fear, shaking like fucking leaves in a cold night.

He took a few steps forward, halting in front of a scared bearded man who looked up at him with wild fear on his eyes. "I told you to take him to me," he said lowly.

"W-We–" the bearded man swallowed audibly. "We–we did! We did! We almost had him. But that green-haired man interrupted and–"

A loud sound echoed inside the shack. The bearded man's eyes rolled inside his head and he dropped forward, blood pooling from the bullet hole on his forehead. The other men shouted in fear but were unable to escape for they knew that it would mean swift and absolute death.

He looked at the others, his pistol steaming from its earlier assault. "You worthless pieces of shit." He pulled the trigger again, again, and _again_. Until his captives dropped one by one, until the wooden floor stained with a large pool of blood.

Silence inside the shack prevailed, with the dull sound of rain as the only source of noise from the outside. His subordinate snickered at the limp and lifeless form of the men in front of him. "So what do we do now, boss?"

He flicked his pistol and found a single bullet remaining in the chamber. "We do as planned." He closed the chamber, aimed the pistol at the nearest body in front of him and pulled the trigger once more. After the brief, loud resonance, he tucked his pistol on his belt.

"We get their help," he said.

"Are you sure about that, boss?" his subordinate asked. "Those bastards will probably betray you."

"I don't care," he said and looked at his subordinate. "Because I will betray them _first_."

The subordinate grinned atrociously at his boss's cruelty. "Do you want me to bring him to you?"

"No," he said. "One failure's enough. The next move will surely succeed, so just stay back."

The subordinate knelt on one knee and bowed his head. "As you wish."

He stepped forward, stopping in front of his subordinate and lifting his hand to his aide. The man took his hand and kissed the golden ring around his finger – the glorious emblem which signified his irrevocable position and status in this world.

"I will get him," he vowed. "I will get him no matter what."

His subordinate rolled his eyes up to meet his and a vicious smile tainted his lips, "You will, boss. Even if all hell set loose, I will make sure to get that blond cook for you."

\- TBC

* * *

 

A cooking Sanji and Kaitarou with Zoro having fun watching them! :)

Sanji's kinda embarrassed though.


	22. Letter and Invitation

**I made an art for the last chapter. You can check it at the end of Chapter 21. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Letter and Invitation**

 

It was fortunate enough that the cook consented with Zoro and Usopp’s plan. The swordsman expected a full session of argument and shouting, but the cook just remained silent, looking at Usopp and Zoro seriously for a moment, then glancing at Vallo and Sora, then to their son.

The cook’s blue eye lingered on the little kid who was sitting on Sora’s lap with an old teddy bear. Sanji remembered asking Sora to buy the toy in Bartero for Kaitarou’s second birthday. The blond still reminisced how his son jumped in glee and how he hugged him and kissed his cheek. The heartwarming memory was the one that made Sanji turn his head to his two nakama who was waiting for his answer.

“Okay. I’ll pack right now.” It was what Sanji had said, to Zoro’s surprise. He noticed the affectionate look on the cook’s blue eye as he stared at their son. The swordsman expected the blond to argue because his and Usopp’s decision was quite sudden, but all surprised reactions, if ever there was one, vanished when Sanji’s eye landed on the little kid.

The cook agreed in a heartbeat because their son would be in danger if they stayed.

A warm tug pulled at Zoro’s chest. The cook was too selfless when it came to their son and to other people. Too selfless that Zoro sometimes thought if he really deserved him.

The cook turned around to walk toward his bedroom when Zoro lifted his hand and gripped the cook’s arm, effectively halting Sanji on his step. “Hey,” the swordsman said as Sanji looked at him over his shoulder. Zoro’s hand lingered gently on the blond’s elbow. “I’ll help.”

 Sanji’s swirly eyebrow raised a few degrees while Usopp’s eyes fixated on his nakama’s hand around the cook’s elbow. Zoro had never been this touchy with anyone before. He was too… _reserved_. And seeing the man being this physical with another human being, let alone their ship’s cook, the sharpshooter could only flush in slight embarrassment.

“Okay,” Sanji replied but Usopp noticed the ruddiness on his cheeks. With a suppressed laugh, the sharpshooter watched as the swordsman trailed behind Sanji, a little too close than before and with their shoulders brushing occasionally.

Sanji, on the other hand, wasn’t sure what the swordsman was up to. It was highly unusual for the bastard to offer some help. Not that Sanji contested to the idea. It was just utterly weird but the blond went along with it, thinking that he really somehow needed a hand packing his and Kaitarou’s things up.

When they were inside Sanji’s room, the first thing that Sanji did was get a couple of duffle bags and a backpack where he would store his and his son’s essentials. The remaining bags were mostly for their clothes, blankets and other commodities. They didn’t own much anyway, the newer ones were mostly for his son, so they would have an easier time packing things up.

“Hey, Marimo,” Sanji called Zoro and threw a bag toward the swordsman which he caught with one hand. “Kaitarou’s clothes are in that drawer. Third row. Left side.”

The swordsman hummed in approval and Sanji proceeded to pack his own things, stuffing his clothes down on his duffel bag one after another. Zoro walked toward the drawer which the cook pointed earlier. Zoro crouched down, opening the third drawer to his… right?

 Zoro’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. The bastard told him to pack their son’s clothes but why the hell was this drawer full of old newspaper clippings of… their crew? Was it Luffy at the headlines?

The swordsman dropped the duffel bag beside him, his eye never leaving the newspapers as he rummaged through several old ones. It was. These papers were all about _them_ , about the _Straw Hats_. The oldest one was dated four years ago, a few months after the cook left the ship and the latest one was around five months ago. Did the cook do this? Did he gather all of these?

Zoro’s eye landed on a particular broadsheet where his name and his victory against an official of Kaido’s crew were smeared across the headline in big bold letters. However, the picture of that battle, or whatever it was, was _missing_. It was intentionally taken away judging by the carefully cut edges of the picture.

Giving it no further attention, the swordsman took out all of the remaining newspapers and was about to ask the cook if he should pack these as well because it might have held something sentimental for the cook, when his grey eye caught the sight of old letters with everyone's name in the crew on them. The pile was quite thick and had accumulated over time, perhaps in the last five months when their connection had been cut.

Zoro put the newspapers down to his other side and took a few letters from the drawer. He flipped them, examining with a roll of his eye that most of them were for Nami and Robin. This perverted bastard.

Annoyed, Zoro was about to put the damn letters back, thinking of not mentioning them to the cook, when his eye caught the neat letter ‘Z’ in one of the letters. His heart pounded a beat louder and his instincts compelled the swordsman to grab that one, specific letter. It didn’t disappoint him though, because clearly written at the back of the envelope, with the cook’s curly handwriting, was his _name_.

Zoro peeked over his shoulder. The cook was busy contemplating if he should pack that one suit for his bag seemed to be retching with his paraphernalia. How the fuck did he own that much clothes? Zoro knew how much of a drag queen the cook was with his clothes and how fussy he was with his appearance.

Zoro didn’t understand that. He could live with one pair of clothes and another pair for spare. He had travelled for a month with only one set of clothes way back in East Blue when he was still hunting pirates for their bounties to feed himself. He just didn’t need that _much_ clothes.

Seeing that the blond would still be busy for a few moments more, Zoro immediately opened the envelope. The first thing that he found inside was a piece of old paper. He unfolded it and his eye widened as he stared at the picture of _himself_ , his Wado Ichimonji pointed dangerously near the throat of Kaido’s official he had beaten two years ago. So the missing piece of that newspaper earlier was here, huh? But why did the cook take the trouble of hiding it in here?

The swordsman rummaged through the envelope and found another piece of paper. This time, however, was a real letter. Eyebrows furrowing, the swordsman opened the folded piece of paper and immediately recognized the cook’s neat handwriting.

_Zoro,_

_Hey, Mosshead. How’s your ass doing? I hope you choke on my sake, you shitty bastard. I know you’ve been sneaking around my damn kitchen while I’m away._

The swordsman let out a silent, breathy laugh at that – the corner of his mouth tugging up in amusement. So the cook was able to write a letter for him? But why didn’t he send it to him?

          _Hey, can you tell me what you’re doing right now? Aside from writing your shitty letter, I’m cooking our son his favorite lamb stew. Yeah, that’s right. You have a son. Sorry about that. I’m sorry for not telling you. I’m sorry for running away. I hope you’ll understand someday. Fuck. I’ll talk to your ugly face when we see each other. You may not want this, but just for now, I’m really sorry._

A dull ache made its way to Zoro’s chest. He couldn’t imagine how hard it was for Sanji to write this – to write this letter to Zoro without knowing if the swordsman would ever make sense to what he was saying or if Zoro would actually forgive him for his choice.

     _I hope you’re doing great, Marimo. Don’t catch a strange disease or whatever. Don’t miss your meals. Ask Nami-san or Luffy to kick your ass awake every mealtime. Don’t work yourself to death in training. Relax once in a while. Ask Robin-chan to make some onigiri for you. I left my recipe book in the galley and I have side notes written there to remind her how much salt to put in and to watch over the sweetness. It won’t go wrong. Just eat properly and take care of yourself, okay?_

Zoro’s hands on the piece of paper gripped tighter. Even from miles away, the cook had been worrying about his health, about his well-being. Zoro just didn’t have a word for that.

_And if ever you have a lover, send my regards to her. I wish you two well._

The swordsman wanted to shout, ‘Shut the fuck up, Cook!’ He knew that the blond didn’t really mean that. He knew that Sanji was bluffing – trying to tell himself that it was okay, that it wasn’t painful. For Zoro’s sake.

_You don’t have to feel guilty or anything. The problem is me – within me. It’s not your fault that things turned out this way. I’m sorry._

          _Just be the greatest and most annoying swordsman in the world. I’ve always had faith in you, Zoro. I know you can do it. Even if I’m not there if that happens, just remember that I’m always happy and proud of whatever achievement you’ll attain in the future._

_Fuck. I can never send you this letter. It sounds so sappy and you might think I’m stupid and laugh at me for it. I just need to write this out or I’ll die crazy. It’s fucking eating me for years. I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have been involved in this mess. I’m really sorry._

The swordsman closed his eye after reading the last word. He didn’t know what to make out of this information – of this precious piece of paper where the cook’s feelings were reflected. He’d never thought that the cook was capable of saying these things to him, of _feeling_ these things for him. He didn’t know how much the cook cared for him until now. He didn’t know, and the swordsman berated himself for that.

He didn’t know how the cook managed to contain the truth. He remembered how troubled the blond looked when Sora showed him the cook’s past. He’d been so devastated at the fact that he couldn’t utter a single word about their son to Zoro. He knew that things might have gotten worse if he did, because during those times, the crew had already one foot stuck on the grave for facing Kaido. The cook knew that, thus he resisted the urge to tell the truth. Because Zoro would undoubtedly sail ‘til the ends of the earth just to find that bastard and it would leave the crew vulnerable.

“Hey, Marimo. What are you lounging about?” Zoro heard the cook’s footsteps behind him. “Keep your lazy ass busy–”

Zoro stood up, surprising the blond with his sudden action. When the swordsman turned around, he shoved the piece of paper against the cook’s chest, who looked perplexed for a moment before taking the slightly creased paper in his hand. Sanji’s blue eye widened at the letter and his shocked gaze immediately shifted to the swordsman who was now staring at him seriously with a frown wrinkling his forehead.

“U-Um–” the blond stammered out as realization dawned on him. “This–it’s not–”

“You don’t have to reason out, Cook,” Zoro said. “I understand. It’s all in there.”

As if on cue, Sanji’s face went beet red because of embarrassment. “Wha–? Why the hell did you open the wrong drawer?! I said the clothes are at the left–oh fuck that!” He shouldn’t have trusted Zoro with this! Fuck, it slipped his mind that this Marimo here was the epitome of a directionless bastard and that he had kept his fucking letters on that drawer!

Sanji turned around, shielding his burning face from the piercing gaze of the swordsman who, undoubtedly, had read the _full_ content of his embarrassing letter. He should’ve thrown this damn piece of paper away for fuck’s sake! What was wrong with him?

But before Sanji could add another string of curses at how freaking stupid he had been, he felt a strong pair of arms encircling his abdomen and a warm pair of soft lips breathing a gentle kiss at the nape of his neck.

All following actions that Sanji would’ve done had successfully died because of this. He felt himself stiffen at the swordsman’s touch, inside his muscled arms and under the pressure of his warm lips. Zoro’s mouth moved from his nape to the back of his head, nuzzling his nose at the cook’s golden hair gently, inhaling his scent and reveling in the warmth of the bastard love cook currently trapped inside his arms.

“Zoro,” the blond uttered breathily. Sanji’s hands and knees shook slightly at the heated body of the swordsman. Zoro moved his head and Sanji almost jumped when he felt the man’s teeth grazing his left earlobe. The cook jerked his shoulder up in response, shying away from the ticklish breaths of the man who chuckled lowly because of the reaction he got.

“S-Stop being like a fucking cat, Marimo,” Sanji managed to say.

“Shut up, Cook,” Zoro said near his ear. “You’re ruining it.”

“I am _not_!” Sanji exclaimed frustratingly. “We need to fucking pack up!”

“That shit can wait.”

Sanji groaned impatiently. “No, it _can’t_. Now, get off me.”

The swordsman grunted in frustration, releasing his hands around the cook, only to flip the blond around and tip his chin up. Sanji couldn’t utter a single word as Zoro closed in the gap between them and pressed his lips against the blond’s. Sanji’s hands trembled and found their familiar refuge on the swordsman’s clothes.

Zoro moved against his lips gently and the blond could hear the erratic beating of his heart in his chest. It was a short kiss, yet Sanji felt so dizzy after the man parted away from him. Zoro looked at him in the eye as he said, “Thank you.”

Sanji only managed to swallow and wet his parched throat when he asked dazedly, “For what?”

The swordsman pressed his forehead against Sanji, his breathing slightly labored and hot against Sanji’s face. Then Zoro replied, “For writing that letter.”

* * *

The horizon appeared like a wound slit from where Luffy was standing in the Sunny – the sky staining with a congruent mixture of red and orange as the sun set beyond the ocean. His straw hat rested behind his neck as his dark hair was blown by the gentle wind and chilly breeze.

“Luffy.”

Nami emerged from the stairs and settled beside him on the lion’s head. The navigator had bags under her eyes. Clearly, she didn’t have enough sleep these past few days. The tension between Kaido and the Straw Hats hadn’t changed, but what exhausted the crew yesterday was their cook’s family – the Vinsmokes.

Two bastards, who claimed to be Sanji’s brothers, attacked the Sunny last night while everyone was asleep. They’d brought a thousand people army that was why the Strawhats and their allied pirate crews somehow had a hard time beating the bastards up.

The two brothers got away, tossing Luffy a piece of envelope before flying with their weird shoes and landing back on their ship which looked like a giant Den Den Mushi. Sanji’s brothers were weird, Luffy thought. But they had the same eyebrows so they were definitely their cook’s siblings!

“What did Sanji-kun's brothers give you last night?” Nami asked.

Luffy pulled something from his shorts’ pocket and then handed the thing to Nami. The navigator looked at the envelope, or perhaps a folded piece of paper, with a curious and questioning eyebrow. As he unfolded the thing, her coffee brown eyes went wide with shock and the words died on her mouth.

“I don’t know if it’s real. But I think that’s the reason why Sanji’s family are so eager to find him,” Luffy said, his voice hinting grave seriousness which was quite rare coming from her captain.

Nami’s hands trembled on the piece of paper as she read its contents once again, hoping that maybe she had comprehended the message wrongly. With a gasp, Nami put a hand over her mouth as she was proven otherwise. The contents were _clear_ , as well as the _names_ written on it.

“It’s…” Nami started as she looked wide-eyed at Luffy. “It’s a wedding invitation?”

Luffy nodded. “Yes. Sanji’s family can’t find him before Zoro and Usopp do. But I trust them. I know they’ll find Sanji first.”

“But… But this is ridiculous!” Nami exclaimed, tapping her fingers petulantly at the incredulous invitation. “This can’t happen! Sanji-kun can’t marry someone from Big Mom’s crew! It would mean that…”

Nami paused for a moment, swallowing in the gravity of her words. “It would mean that Sanji-kun will be a part of her crew.”

Luffy’s eyebrows pulled down into a deep scowl. “That won’t happen while I’m around. I won’t let them touch Sanji. He belongs to my crew. He’s my nakama.”

As much as Nami admired his captain’s brave words, she couldn’t help but be anxious about the whole thing. The Vinsmokes were out to find Sanji for this freaking wedding with the offspring of a yonkō. But Sanji had a child! And what about Zoro? Even if the man denied it a million times to her, she knew that the stubborn bastard felt something for their cook. It was just so conspicuous even without verbal affirmation.

The swordsman was thinking about the cook everyday during their years of separation. Nami witnessed how the bastard looked longingly at Sanji’s golden lighter; how he felt the edges and the rough texture of Sanji’s vivre card; how he monitored the swinging of the eternal pose arrow to Bartero Island in their every voyage.

Only a musclehead like their swordsman wouldn’t notice that he was indeed feeling something for their cook.

“But, Luffy,” she said as she stared with worried eyes at her captain, “I’m worried about Sanji-kun. About Zoro. Their kid too. This wedding is just too outrageous.”

If it were a normal wedding, then the crew might approve. But putting Zoro and their kid to the equation made it difficult. Furthermore, throwing in Sanji’s “fiancé” to the same equation was what made it practically insane!

Her gambler instincts told her that something bad would happen, that their cook would be at the bad side of the table and would have the lowest stakes at winning the game. Nami glanced at Sanji’s name, then her eyes shifted on the name beside him and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

“There won’t be a wedding,” Luffy declared, his face stern with determination and his hands balled firmly at his sides. “I won’t let Sanji get married to that Katakuri guy.”

-TBC


	23. All Blue, The Big Sea

**Chapter 23: All Blue, The Big Sea**

 

"What?" Sanji asked, confusion and shock apparent on his face.

"I said you can't. Let's go. Now," Zoro insisted as a nasty frown graced his handsome features.

The blond closed his gaping mouth, relieving himself from the earlier shock and finding the right words to deal with the fuming bastard in front of him.

"What? Why? I can't just go without saying anything to him! I've been working with him for two years—" Sanji reasoned out but the swordsman cut him off.

"I don't care, Cook. We're going _now_." Zoro's chair scraped the wooden floor as he stood up and left the room without another word.

Sanji and the others were left staring at the doorway where Zoro disappeared. They were having a normal breakfast five minutes ago before the swordsman suddenly got himself in a foul mood.

"What the hell?" Sanji mumbled in disbelief. What had gotten to that idiot? Why was he so against with the idea of him bidding farewell to Dan, to his coworker for two years? It was necessary, out of gratefulness and common ethics!

"Uh, well..." Usopp cleared his throat and sipped on his cup of coffee. "So, let's get going in twenty?"

Vallo ate the last piece of boiled potato on his plate. "Let's wait for Dan. I asked for him to come."

Sanji whipped his head to the brown haired man. He didn't know if he should be happy or not. Of course, he wanted to say goodbye to Dan. He'd been very kind to Sanji and somehow, he was his friend. But he wasn't so sure if it was a good idea right now, considering the angry scowl on Zoro's face earlier.

Did something happen between them? What the fuck was that? The Marimo was always bad with dealing with people. Maybe, they hadn't had a good start?

The three men in the kitchen heard hurried footsteps and after a while, Sora came rushing to the doorway, her emerald eyes wide and frantic. "Sanji-san! You should come and see this!"

In a blink of an eye, Sanji was already running with Sora toward the living room. As they ran past the baking area and the shop, Sanji noticed his son peeking through the small gap of the shop's door.

"Hey, sweetie," Sanji said as he bent down and flipped his son's body toward him.

Kaitarou blinked at him. "Daddy."

"What? Where's Daddy?" Sanji asked.

A loud thud on the wall startled Sanji. He immediately backed his son away and told Sora to keep Kaitarou safe. The girl grabbed his son's hand and kept him behind her as Sanji threw the door open.

Heart pounding in his chest, the blond sprinted outside the shop, his head turning instantly to the two men who, in Sanji's opinion, weren't in any case the definition of “getting along well.”

Zoro had Dan pinned against the wall and his coworker's hands were fisting the swordsman's coat tightly. The slighter man looked strained because of the Marimo's strong hold. Zoro was frowning at the man and his teeth were bared like he was facing an opponent who annoyed the shit out of him.

"Oi!" Sanji ran toward them and aimed a kick toward the Marimo. Zoro's good eye turned to Sanji's approaching figure just in time to dodge his kick, reflexively withdrawing his hands from the man's collar and hopping back a few steps away.

Sanji stood between them, placing his hands inside his pockets and looking at the Marimo with a frown pulling his curly eyebrows down. "What the hell are you doing, Marimo?"

Zoro stared back at Sanji with the same degree of fury that he had on his face earlier. "Don't interfere, Cook."

"Hell no," Sanji replied. "You can't just attack people like that!"

"Just..." Zoro raked his hand through his hair in frustration. "Just get the hell away from there!"

"Tell me what's going on first!" Sanji shouted back.

"Sanji." Dan stood beside the cook, his fingers circling around the blond's arm and this small gesture had the swordsman's growling in anger.

"You fucking—" Zoro darted toward them, putting a hand on Wado's hilt as Sanji's system fired with adrenaline.

Sanji promptly put a deadly foot between them, causing the swordsman to stop with a screeching halt. "Calm down, idiot," Sanji uttered lowly. "Do that and you're gonna have to fight me."

The swordsman opened his mouth to say something, but to Sanji's bafflement, Zoro's grey eye fell down on the dirty soil, his stature straightening and hand slipping on Wado's hilt. A few seconds passed before the swordsman turned his back to the blond, alarming Sanji’s senses in every dreadful way possible.

“Oi,” Sanji called out as he lowered his leg.

The blond heard Zoro mumble something but he couldn’t decipher what the hell it was. The swordsman turned his head slightly to the side, gracing Sanji with a meager view of his facial features. “Do what you want.”

As the swordsman walked away, every step taking him further and further away from Sanji, the blond’s heart dropped and fright started to settle inside him. He didn’t want to do anything now but to run after Zoro and explain himself out.

But he couldn’t at the moment. He needed to know what caused this ruckus and the appropriate man for that significant information was right behind him. With a heavy sigh, Sanji turned his head to Dan whose hand was now loosening on his arm.

“Dan,” Sanji said, his eyebrows furrowed. “What the hell happened?”

“I–” The man began to explain. Dan shifted uncomfortably on his feet, eyes blinking quite fast for several times and looking anywhere but Sanji. Scratching his head, Dan flicked his eyes slowly to the blond who was getting a bit impatient for his answer.

“I went here because Vallo-san told me to come. He said you’re all… leaving. I had to see you one last time but that swordsman was standing in front of the shop and when he saw me, he threatened me not go any further. But when I didn’t listen, he just flipped,” Dan explained.

Sanji ran a trembling hand on his face, breathing in deeply at how fucked up the situation was. What the hell was that Marimo thinking? Did he dislike Sanji’s coworker that much that he would just hurl and threaten an unarmed man like that?

“Dan, look, I’m sorr–” Sanji was starting to apologize for his nakama’s unruly and impulsive action when the man gripped his wrist, pulling it away from his face. And when Sanji opened his eye, the man’s lips were already pressing to his slightly parted lips.

Shock overwhelmed Sanji and he felt that his heart just stopped beating. The man tried to press further but consciousness seemed to slap Sanji back to reality and he snatched his wrist from the man’s hold and shoved him away from him.

Sanji stared at the man with widened blue eyes, the back of his hand hovering over his lips and his speech failing him from uttering a single word. A crease appeared between Dan’s eyebrows as he tried to reach out for Sanji. “Sanji.”

"What the—?" Sanji said in disbelief, shock, confusion and anger flushing his system and the man halted due to Sanji's outburst. "What the hell was that?!"

"I'm sorry! I—" Dan tried to explain, different thoughts and excuses tangling inside his head and causing him to heave a heavy sigh.The man's gaze found Sanji's outraged blue eye. He inched a step closer, swallowing painfully. "Sanji," he said seriously. "I love you. I've loved you for two years now."

The blond's jaw fell slack, his heart beating rapidly inside his chest because of the sudden confession. "What?" he whispered, his eye never leaving the other man and hoping to find any hint of jest or frivolity but he saw nothing. The man was staring seriously at him that it made Sanji's skin crawl with abashment.

"Please. Don't go," the man pleaded.

Sanji blinked a few times and wished that this thing had never happened. It was so fucking messed up and for two years, he had no freaking idea what the other man felt about him! Was he that dense?

No. Because during those years, every day, every second, from his first step away from the Sunny until right this very moment, he had been thinking all about Zoro.

Sanji pushed his hands down his pockets, his fingers fumbling on his lighter. "Dan," Sanji addressed the man with the same degree of seriousness he was given. It was now or never. "Thank you. But... I'm sorry."

The crease between the man's eyebrows deepened. His face contorted into something that Sanji could only regard as utter hurt and rejection. "Is it because of him?" the man asked silently.

The blond averted his eye from the man. "I'm sorry."

Sanji heard Dan breathe deeply and shuffle on his feet for a few seconds. "Well," the man said after he found his words again. "I, uh, I'll just... go to Vallo-san. Take good care of yourself, Sanji. Thank you."

It was the way how Dan looked that bothered Sanji the most. How he said those words monotonously and never glancing to the blond. The man slipped through the shop door without another word. To Sanji's surprise, Usopp stepped outside the shop, throwing a glimpse to the man first before walking toward Sanji.

"Sanji," the sharpshooter said worriedly.

"You heard?"

Usopp cast his eyes down in shame. "Well, uh, yeah. I ran after you then I heard you and Zoro shouting. I was worried so..." Usopp gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."

The blond shook his head. "No. It's okay." Sanji looked around, remembering the path that a certain marimo had taken earlier. "Hey, do you know where that Marimo is?"

"Oh, right. Um..." Usopp scratched his head. "I think he would be at the cliff. You can catch up to him if you go now."

Sanji nodded. "Thanks. Take care of the others, will you? I'll come back soon."

"Of course!" Usopp said and proudly thumped his chest. "You can count on Usopp-sama and my one hundred thousand followers!"

With a smile and shake of his head, the blond retreated to the confines of the western woods. It was fortunately bright today, even if the clouds masked the rays of the morning sun.

Sanji closed his eyes. "Kenbunshoku haki."

In a heartbeat, the blond's senses amplified a hundred times. He could feel the slightest blow of wind against every pore on his skin; he could hear the softest rustle of leaves, every thump on the dirty earth and the lightest whir of insect wings around him.

It wasn't long when he recognized the familiar thuds of heavy boots on dried leaves, the dull clacks of saya and the clinks of golden earrings. Sanji opened his eyes and sprinted to the right, passing through several trees and hopping over bushes to course through the shortest path toward a certain bastard.

When Sanji caught a glimpse of green hair, he sped up and jumped toward the man, spinning in the air and aiming a kick toward the idiot’s head. But fair enough, the man swiftly turned around and blocked the blond’s sole with Shusui’s blade halfway raised from her sheath.

Sanji grinned and flipped backwards, landing agilely on his feet. “What’s wrong, Marimo? You’re slower than a turtle.”

Zoro rolled his eye and completely tucked Shusui in her saya. “I can sense your worthless ass miles away, Shitty Cook.”

The blond chuckled at Zoro’s insolent attitude, but the smile emblazoned on his face slipped slowly when he remembered his purpose. Sanji tapped the point of his shoe on the ground, anxiously finding the next words inside his head. “Zoro. I, uh… I get it.”

Zoro’s eyebrows scrunched up. “Get what?”

Sanji bit the inside of his cheek. “About Dan.”

“Heh,” Zoro said in disinterest. “Good for you.” The swordsman turned his back to Sanji, but the blond wouldn’t have that. Not now.

“Oi, bastard! I’m not done talking to you!” Sanji stomped toward the swordsman and pulled his arm to make Zoro look at him. Frowning, the blond spoke, “I did that because I didn’t know! And you shouldn’t have attacked Dan like that in the first place! We’re just gonna talk–”

“Well, you had your talk, right? Stop bothering me,” Zoro said with a deadpan expression and snatched his arm away from Sanji’s grip.

The blond’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance. “Look, Marimo,” he started calmly, “I know you’re jealous but there’s no meaning behind that–”

“I’m not jealous!” the swordsman shouted, a darker shade of red tinting both of his cheeks.

Sanji sighed in frustration. “Fine! You’re not! You’re just sulking your ass off!” Sanji shouted back sarcastically.

“Ah?!” Zoro growled and pulled Wado from her sheath. “You wanna fight, Shit-cook?”

“I’m gonna kick your brooding ass, Bastard Marimo,” Sanji said, placing his hands inside his pockets and lifting his leg up dangerously. If the bastard wouldn’t listen to him verbally, then he would make sure that Zoro would understand things through his _foot_.

The swordsman unsheathed his second katana, Shusui. Holding the two swords in both hands, the man scowled at the blond. “Bring it on, Curlybrow.”

Sanji ran toward Zoro, jumping into the air and releasing a powerful kick that shook Zoro’s blades. The blond bent down gracefully, planting his hands on the ground and with a twist of his hip, he kicked at Zoro who dodged it by jumping a few feet away from him.

Sanji sprinted, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he kicked and blocked the swordsman’s attacks. “Listen to me, you bastard!” he yelled as his soles collided with Zoro’s swords.

“You really piss me off, Damn Cook!” Zoro shouted back and aimed a swift cut to Sanji’s head but the blond managed to dodge it, the blade cutting a few blond strands from him but Sanji didn’t fucking care. He was pissed as fuck now at Zoro and he wanted to have a good and hard kick on the man to make his stubborn head understand.

To make Zoro understand that Sanji didn’t fucking love anyone but him.

“I’m going to kick your stubborn ass, Shithead!” Sanji snarled at the swordsman, aiming a hard kick to Zoro’s side. With a flick of his wrist, the swordsman immediately blocked the attack with Wado’s blade. Pissed off, Sanji propped a hand on the ground and twisted his hips to aim another shot to Zoro’s head. The swordsman seemed to anticipate the attack for he tried to slip a foot across Sanji’s hand to tip off his balance.

Alarmed, the blond immediately retreated his foot and backflipped away from the man. The swordsman was the one to charge at him this time. Sanji lifted his sole to meet the man’s crossed blades. The impact caused Sanji to grit his teeth and his sweat to dampen the back of his neck.

“Bastard,” Sanji grumbled in annoyance.

“Nitoryu.”

The blond’s blue eye widened and before he could react, a powerful surge of wind blew him away, cutting small slits on his shirt and pants and making his back hit relentlessly a nearby tree. “One hundred pound cannon!” Zoro shouted.

Sanji felt a wave of pain on his shoulder and he cursed the bad timing of his shot wound. That momentary distraction caused him dearly because before he could compose himself again, the swordsman was already lunging at him like a raging bull. Sanji felt the man’s arm on his chest and pinned him against the tree. The impact knocked the wind out of Sanji’s lungs and the man pushed against him harder.

“That’s not fair!” Sanji said in a strained voice, hands flying to the swordsman’s arms and trying to shove him away. The swordsman trapped him with his body, immobilizing his legs so that Sanji couldn’t kick him.

The idiot hadn’t used his techniques to Sanji before and the blond hadn’t used his Diable Jambe to the brute either. It was a sparring match! It was somehow like an unspoken rule that neither would use their full potential. It was a friendly fight. But Zoro appeared to be not on the same side of the road with Sanji.

“No one said that I can’t use my techniques,” Zoro reasoned out and he grinned at the blond mockingly.

The blond scowled at the man. “Fuck you,” Sanji said through gritted teeth.

Annoyance flashed across the swordsman’s face. “You know what, Cook?” Zoro said as he looked at Sanji in the eye and the blond stopped squirming under him. “Shut up.”

Sanji gasped as Zoro leaned against him, smashing their mouths together in a heated, wet kiss. The swordsman took his arm off his chest and Sanji inhaled sharply when Zoro lifted him up. His legs clamped around the swordsman’s hips instinctively, his shaking hands instantly finding support around the man’s thick neck.

Sanji’s heart thudded wildly in his chest as Zoro abused his lips. Saliva dripped down the side of his mouth up to his chin, making Sanji shiver as Zoro’s warm tongue licked inside. The swordsman shifted and pushed Sanji further against the tree, feeling that it wasn’t enough, that he needed more of the cook.

But that contact and subtle shift caused the blond to tense up, a low moan releasing from his throat as that added friction grinded between his thighs. Sanji’s fingers and toes tingled with the sensation and he was afraid that he might lose his mind if Zoro stopped right now.

The swordsman ravaged Sanji’s neck, nipping and sucking the inviting pale skin and inhaling the blond’s sweet scent. Zoro couldn’t get enough. His mind was so clouded right now with annoyance and want. He was so pissed off at the damn cook but he also wanted to hold the man right now, until the cook’s crude mouth enraptured him with shaky breaths and throaty moans. Fuck. He was losing it. He hadn’t wanted anyone before like how he wanted this shitty, foul-mouthed blond cook.

The swordsman hooked a finger on Sanji’s shirt, pulling the neckline down until it exposed the blond’s pale shoulder. Zoro’s mouth watered at the sight and his eye lidded with desire. Mindlessly, the swordsman bit down on that gracious thing sinfully laid in front of him and the blond gasped in surprise at the sudden action.

“Fuck, Zoro!” Sanji’s nails scratched against Zoro’s neck, leaving reddish marks on that glorious tan skin. “Don’t–don’t bite me, Shithead.” The blond was having a hard time organizing his thoughts. He felt that the sensation from Zoro’s bite just went straight dangerously _southward_.

Zoro’s tongue licked his teeth marks on the blond’s shoulder in silent apology. Sanji’s skin was warm and now a beautiful shade of pink which made Zoro lick his lower lip. The cook was fucking beautiful.

“Stop sulking, idiot,” Sanji said when he felt the swordsman calming down.

“I’m not sulking,” Zoro said defiantly.

Sanji rolled his eyes and linked his fingers together above Zoro’s head. Sanji looked seriously at that grey eye, which earlier had him gasping and wanting to suck the remaining life out of him. “Look, Marimo,” he started. “I don’t feel anything for Dan and I don’t want to accept any feelings from him. I only love one annoying shithead and that is _you_. Get it through your thick skull.”

Zoro’s eye widened and his lips parted slightly. He was shocked to hear these words coming from Sanji: how the blond said those words without hesitation, and how he looked directly to his eye with perfect conviction.

Zoro’s ears reddened and he averted his eye from the blond. “Stop saying sappy things, idiot.”

Sanji sighed and lowered his hands from Zoro’s head. “Then you won’t care if he tries to pursue me?”

“Of course not!” Zoro barked at Sanji as a deep frown settled on his face. “You’re mine, ero-cook. No one can touch you except me.”

Sanji blinked dumbly at Zoro. So that was why this bastard flipped earlier, huh? Because Dan touched his arm?

A smile slowly stretched Sanji’s mouth and he felt his head getting light like it was filled up with feathers. He’d never thought of this bastard to be such an adorable, possessive dork. Chuckling at Zoro’s stupidity, the blond’s forehead fell on Zoro’s head in utter defeat. He gave up all right.

“Stupid Marimo,” he said smiling. “Look who’s being sappy right now.”

* * *

Usopp’s eyebrow rose up when he saw his two nakama coming back from the western woods. They were arguing about something but the undeniable grin plastered on their silly faces made Usopp think that the two had made up.

“Oi!” Usopp waved a hand at them. “We’re waiting for you, guys! Let’s get going!”

The two men sprinted toward Usopp and their three other companions. Sanji glanced around and Usopp thought for a moment that maybe, he was looking for his coworker. But if Sanji had thought the same thing, then he didn’t voice it out. Instead, he took a large backpack and a duffle bag. Kaitarou was wearing his favorite bear backpack and was showing it off to Zoro, who just smiled and patted his son’s head.

Vallo and Sora took a final glance at their home. There was sadness in their eyes but they knew that life wouldn’t wait for them and that they had to move on. Sanji got kind of emotional when they were about to leave but he hid it to himself. This small home had been a part of him these past few years and even though he wanted nothing but to get back to Sunny, Sanji had grown attached to this little abode.

Vallo told Sanji not to carry too much for it might put an unnecessary strain to his stitches. Of course, he said that he would be all right but a certain green-haired bastard argued with him over a duffle bag, insisting to let him carry it while Sanji indulge himself with only one baggage.

“Shut your trap, Marimo, or I’ll kick your ass. Fuck off,” Sanji said, pissed off. His pride just wouldn’t have that. He might be shot but he wasn’t weak. He was still a man, dammit!

The trip to the shore took three hours but it was far from boring. Usopp was telling his mighty stories to Sora and Kaitarou who were watching him with plain amusement and awe on their faces. Vallo sometimes laughed at Usopp’s other outrageous stories and kept a close ear to his narratives.

Kaitarou ran between his parents, tugging Zoro’s coat and Sanji’s pant leg with his small hands. The blond smiled and took his son’s hand, holding him as they walked. “Daddy!” Kaitarou smiled at Zoro and offered his free hand. Sanji cocked an eyebrow at the swordsman and Zoro wanted nothing but to wipe that playful grin off the blond’s face.

“Shut up, Cook.” The swordsman took his son’s other hand and turned his head away. Sanji chuckled when he noticed that the tips of Zoro’s ears were of a bashful red color. _This adorable prick,_ he thought.

When they arrived at the seashore, it was fortunate that they could see the small figure of the passenger vessel sailing from afar, thus they wouldn’t have to wait long for it to arrive. When the vessel docked and a ramp was provided, the group together with a few passengers ascended the ship.

“I’ll pay the fare,” Vallo said and took Sora with him. After a few minutes, they all went downstairs to find their respective rooms. “Each room has three beds,” Vallo explained. “Sora and I will share with Usopp. Then Zoro, Sanji and Kaitarou will share that room. Is it okay?”

“Of course!” Usopp said with a smile. But when he turned his head to his nakama, the two idiots seemed to be embarrassed with the whole thing. With a roll of his eyes, Usopp got a key from Vallo’s hand and offered them to Sanji. “Come on. No complaints, right?”

The blond stared at the key for a moment before a sigh was ripped out from his lungs. “No.”

Zoro, Sanji and Kaitarou went to their room and started to secure their baggages under the beds and inside the closet. They would be sailing for three days and Sanji wanted to have everything in order. “Oi, Marimo. You’re on the top bunk. I’ll sleep down here while Kaitarou sleep on the other bed,” Sanji said.

“Whatever,” the swordsman said indifferently. He could sleep anywhere anyway so it didn’t matter.

“Papa! Papa!” Kaitarou shook Sanji’s hand. “Let’s go outside! Ocean!”

A smile crept on the blond’s lips at his son’s excitement. “Okay.” Sanji glanced at Zoro. “You coming?”

“Yeah,” the swordsman said. “Too stuffy in here.”

The blond managed to shout three times at how stupid Zoro’s sense of direction was because the man took three wrong turns in their whole way toward the deck. Once they were out, the kid ran toward the railing, standing on tiptoes to sneak a peek of the blue ocean.

Zoro laughed heartedly at the kid’s trouble and without further ado hefted his son up and placed the little kid over his shoulders. “Wow!” the kid gripped on Zoro’s hair. “So tall!”

Zoro grinned. “Yeah. You’ll grow tall and strong like me.”

Sanji bumped his fist on the swordsman’s shoulder and gave him a playful smile. “He’ll grow gorgeous because he takes from me, idiot.”

The swordsman rolled his eye. “Yeah, right. Thanks to your weird eyebrows.”

“You got a problem with my eyebrows, Shithead?” Sanji said with a cock of his head.

“I’ve got loads of problem with them, Curlybrow,” the man replied with a smirk.

“Papa! Papa, look!” Kaitarou said joyfully, his right hand pointing at the sea creatures jumping from the waters. “Dolphins!”

Sanji laughed and tucked a few strands of blond hair away from his eye as the cool wind blew on his face. “Yeah. They’re amazing.”

Kaitarou looked at his dad’s hair, examining each strand like it was the strangest thing that he’d ever seen. “Hey, kid. What are you doing?” the swordsman asked.

“So green,” Kaitarou said.

Zoro snorted. “Well, yeah. Your hair’s like that too.”

“He’s probably wondering because your hair looks like grass,” Sanji interrupted. “He’s looking for a worm or something.”

The little kid leaned forward and sniffed curiously at his dad’s hair. The short strands tickled his nose and the kid sneezed, his body jolting on Zoro’s shoulder. The swordsman immediately put his hands around his son’s arms to support him.

“Itchy,” Kaitarou said as he sniffed and rubbed his nose.

The blond laughed heartily. “You stink, Marimo.”

Zoro rolled his eye at the blond. “Shut up, Curly.” When Sanji placed his hands on the railing, the swordsman asked, “You won’t smoke?”

Sanji stared at him for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head. “Nah. I don’t smoke around Kaitarou.”

With that, Zoro’s heart melted a fraction. He could see the cook’s fingers twitching anxiously on the railing, dreading for his cancer stick but he was holding himself back because he knew that the fumes were bad for his son. A small thought like that held something big for the swordsman.

Because, undoubtedly, it was making him fall deeper for the blond.

“Hey, Marimo.”

Zoro glanced at Sanji, taking in his handsome features as the blond looked longingly at the vast, blue ocean. His soft blond hair brushed against his nose and the side of his face, highlighting his high cheekbones. His blue eye was the mirror image of the sea and his slightly parted lips made Zoro reminisce just how soft and inviting they were.

“Do you know what Kaitarou’s name means?” Sanji asked.

“No,” Zoro said as curiosity settled in. Now that he thought of it, he’d never asked the blond about that.

Sanji smiled. “It means _‘Son of the Big Sea.’_ ”

A strange flutter warmed the swordsman’s chest. Even if the blond left the ship and stopped sailing for four years, Sanji had never stopped believing. He still dreamt of All Blue – that mythical ocean where all blues collided, filled with all types of fish that this world could offer and considered as a chef’s paradise.

Sanji never stopped having faith in his dream. And their son was the proof of it. Kaitarou was Sanji’s All Blue. _Their_ All Blue. Their little mystery.

The blond closed his eyes, feeling the breeze on his face, the salty spray of the ocean and the familiar rocking of the ship underneath his feet. He missed this – this _freedom_. He’d wanted to sail into the vast ocean all these years. He never forgot the waves, the seagulls and the gush of water as the ship pierced through it.

The swordsman absorbed the beautiful smile on the blond’s face and he knew right then what the blond was thinking. “Cook,” he called him. When Sanji’s blue eye opened and landed on him, he flashed the cook a warm smile which made Sanji’s heart skip a beat.

“Welcome home.”

-TBC

* * *

 

  **Here's our little moss baby Kaitarou~**

**Made by the talented[CharlieNozaki](https://www.tumblr.com/search/charlienozaki) :)**

**So adorable. ❤**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Kebunshoku Haki - Observation Haki  
> *Nitoryu - Two-sword Style
> 
> In Japanese, 海 (kai) means "sea, ocean", 太 (ta) means "thick, big" and 郎 (rou) means "son".  
> Thus, "Son of the Big Sea" :)
> 
> I just thought about an ending perfect for this story! But don't worry because this story will NOT end anytime soon. Many things will still happen so stay tuned for it! I updated because I have a five-day break and it feels heavenly. Ah, a good cup of hot chocolate while reading Zosan. It's the best.


	24. The Games You Play

**Warning: Slightly mature content ahead.**

* * *

  **Chapter 24: The Games You Play**

 

“Hey, guys!”

Sanji, Zoro and Kaitarou were on their way back to their room when Usopp called on them. With an ardent smile, the sharpshooter pointed his thumb toward the corridor behind him. “Vallo-san said there was a public bath at the lower level. It’s quite spacious. Wanna go?”

The blond’s mouth slackened. “What?” he said, disbelief apparent in his tone. “How about shower cubicles?”

Usopp shook his head. “Nah. This vessel isn’t the one we took when we sailed to Banaru. Maybe, it’s a new one?”

As Sanji remembered, the ship that he sailed on had shower cubicles. Well, _four damn years ago._ “Papa! Bath! Bath!” Kaitarou said enthusiastically to Sanji as he tugged his hand.

With a sigh, the blond put his hand on his son’s head and tapped him gently. “Okay.”

The little kid made a happy sound and immediately yanked Zoro’s coat toward their room. Sanji closed his eyes and put a hand on his face as he listened to the Marimo and his son's disappearing footsteps. “What’s wrong, Sanji?” asked Usopp with a knot of his eyebrows.

“Nothing. It’s just…” Sanji didn’t even know why he was fussy about it. It was just a public bath, for heaven’s sake. The whole crew had been in a public bath before, a hot spring to boot. They’d bathed together in Vivi’s castle way back in Alabasta. There was nothing new to this.

Except that it _was_. This was something new to Sanji in a sense. And it was because–

“You don’t want to go because of Zoro?” Usopp said.

The blond’s blue eye opened and landed on the sharpshooter as the man gave him a questioning but assertive look. From Sanji’s slightly shocked expression, Usopp confirmed his suspicion with a roll of his eyes. “Oh, come on, Sanji! Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed?”

“I’m not!” Sanji defended hotly and then sighed in exasperation. “It’s just… it’s my first time to bathe with that bastard in a public bath with… with…” Well, yeah. He couldn’t manage to say those final words.

“What? With something between the two of you?” Usopp finished for him.

Sanji’s cheeks flushed a little and he averted his eye from his nakama. “Yeah,” Sanji replied, barely above a whisper.

The sharpshooter chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Then you’re definitely embarrassed.”

“Oh shut up!” Sanji swiped a kick toward Usopp who ducked just in time to save his precious head.

“Whoa!” Usopp freaked out with widened eyes and instantly scrambled away from the blond. “See you in a minute!” he said as he ran back to his room.

Sanji gave out an irritated huff. He wasn’t fucking embarrassed. No way. It was just… awkward and kind of uncomfortable. Yeah, he’d better leave it that way.

The blond put his hands inside his pants’ pockets and walked along the hallway toward their shared bedroom. Before Sanji could hold the handle, the door swung open and his son came out wearing a yellow bathrobe. The swordsman followed and Sanji _swore_ that his eyes just _didn’t_ flick on Zoro’s thick-muscled chest that was barely hidden by the robe.

However, to Sanji’s dismay, the swordsman caught that humiliating split second and a smug grin formed on the swordsman’s lips. “You coming, Cook?” Zoro said, amusement evident in his grey eye.

Sanji scowled at the man and he wanted to kick that shitty grin right off his face. “Of course, idiot. I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Sanji said and he immediately regretted his decision especially when the swordsman flashed him a challenging look.

“Well, don’t be late then,” Zoro said with an amused eye.

The blond’s curly eyebrows knotted more at that. Zoro was provoking him – _daring_ him.

This bastard.

“Bath!” Kaitarou pulled at Zoro’s robe repeatedly, his other hand pointing toward the direction of the stairs that would lead them down to the public bath.

Zoro laughed lowly and looked at Sanji one more time. “See you, Cook.” The swordsman cocked his eyebrow at Sanji and a playful smile tugged the corner of his lips. The blond glowered at the swordsman’s back as he and Kaitarou walked away.

“Green idiot,” Sanji grumbled to himself and then opened the door to their room. What the hell was up with that Marimo? Was he fucking playing with him? Oh, yeah. He was alright. But the damn Marimo was freaking wrong.

Sanji wouldn’t back down from a nasty game like that.

* * *

Sanji ducked under the curtain of the small changing room. He went to one of the open wooden lockers and saw instantly the Marimo and his son’s robes folded neatly in a pile. A smile crept on his mouth at that. There was just something adorable in that trivial matter.

The blond took his blue robe off and folded it tidily beside his son and the Marimo’s locker. He went to the basket beside the shelf and took a clean piece of white towel, wrapping it around his hips and sliding his boxers down when he was sure he was appropriately covered. He tucked his boxer shorts inside the pocket of his robe and promised to himself to get a new one as soon as possible.

The blond slid the wooden door open. Humid air, steam and slick tiles greeted him. He walked barefoot on the public bath, noticing a few people scrubbing their bodies under running water while a few lounged in the large bathtub.

“Sanji!”

The blond’s eye caught sight of the sharpshooter’s unruly dark hair from the tub. Usopp waved at him and Sanji regarded him with a slight nod. Usopp seemed to notice Sanji’s wandering eyes and he smiled when he thought of what–or who–his nakama was looking for right now.

“Kaitarou and Zoro are there at the corner,” Usopp said, pointing at the far end side of the public bath.

Sanji craned his neck, looking past a post and finding two tufts of green hair seated on small wooden bath stools. Zoro was scrubbing Kaitarou’s back and they seemed to be talking about something. The swordsman had this calm smile on his lips as his son played with the bubbles around his body.

Kaitarou blew on the soapy foam on his hands and he pointed a particularly large bubble floating in the air. The swordsman laughed at that and he continued to scrub Kaitarou’s small back. Sanji’s eyes fluttered for a moment, his chest warming up with an oh-so-familiar sensation that he only felt when the swordsman started to spend time with his son.

Unknowingly, a gentle smile curved the blond’s lips, making Usopp think just how overwhelmed his nakama was right now at the sight laid in front of him. “Well, Sanji,” he said with a teasing smile, “you better spend more time with your son. He seems to like Zoro quite a _lot_.”

Usopp’s remark snapped Sanji from his reverie and his head turned to his nakama. “Tch,” Sanji said, feigning annoyance as he took a dip in the warm water, taking the towel off his hips and sliding himself down in the large tub. “I don’t worry about that. Kaitarou loves me more,” he said as he folded the towel beside the tub.

The sharpshooter laughed at that childish remark. “Well, yeah. For now.” Usopp slid down further into the water, resting his head at the edge and closing his eyes. “Never knew Zoro has a soft side like this.”

Sanji couldn’t dispute that. He was also new to this side of the swordsman. He was never like this before and the crew would probably take some time to fully adjust to their swordsman's shockingly soft side.

After a few minutes, Kaitarou was walking toward the large tub with the Marimo trailing behind him, his grey eye focused on the kid’s footsteps as if he would trip or slip on the wet tiles any moment. Sanji’s mouth stretched into a smile because of the swordsman’s oblivious sweet gesture.

The man’s good eye moved from the kid’s feet to Sanji, raising a questioning eyebrow at the cook’s mysterious smile. Kaitarou called the blond, slipping into the warm water and sitting between his father’s thighs.

The blond leaned forward and smelled his son’s hair, inhaling the cool scent of mint and fragrant soap. “You smell nice, sweetie,” Sanji said with a smile.

“Daddy put shampoo on my hair.” Kaitarou pulled gently a few strands, ducking his head low as if he could see his short mossy locks. The little kid tipped his head up to stare at Sanji. “Daddy said to put shampoo on him, too. He said Papa will help him.”

The blond’s head whipped from his son to the bastard standing confidently in front of them. Zoro had his arms crossed above his thick chest, a towel hanging low around his narrow waist, his eyebrow cocking at Sanji’s shocked expression and a dangerous smile playing on those thin goddamn lips.

Usopp stared back and forth between his nakama and he wasn’t quite sure if he and Kaitarou should be here, or if _anybody_ in the public bath should even be here, as these two idiots were undoubtedly oozing with testosterone. “Uh, Kaitarou,” Usopp called the kid with a wave of his hand. “C’mere.”

When the little kid stood up and went to him, he said, “Um, we’re gonna play, okay?”

“Really?” Kaitarou said excitedly.

Usopp nodded at the kid, smiling. The sharpshooter called Sanji’s name and when the blond’s head turned to him, Usopp shot him a pointed look and angled his head to the waiting swordsman. The blond’s face flushed a lovely pink color but the cook tried to disguise his embarrassment with a cough.

Pleased, the swordsman turned around and returned to the scrubbing area. And with a sigh, the blond stood up, wrapping his waist with his towel and finally guiding himself out of the warm water. “What the hell’s this Marimo thinking?” the blond mumbled to himself but he couldn’t deny the heated flush warming up his cheeks.

The blond saw the swordsman sitting on the bath stool where Kaitarou had sat earlier. Sanji debated for a moment but when the swordsman cocked at him a daring eyebrow, a frown settled on the blond’s features and he made his way toward the smug bastard.

“Oi, Marimo. The hell are you pulling at?” Sanji demanded as he sat down on the bath stool behind Zoro.

“Just wanna make sure you’re not chickening out,” Zoro said and grinned haughtily at Sanji over his shoulder.

A vein throbbed on Sanji’s temple. “Ah? I don’t chicken out on anything.”

Zoro snorted and before Sanji could spout another round of insults and curses at him, the swordsman grabbed a bottle of shampoo and gave it to Sanji. With hesitant fingers, the blond took the bottle from Zoro, pouring an adequate amount of the viscous fluid on his palm.

After rubbing the fluid between his hands, Sanji slowly put his palms on the swordsman’s green hair, smearing shampoo all over his head as bubbles formed between Sanji’s fingers. The swordsman closed his grey eye, feeling the blond’s dexterous fingers massaging his scalp. It felt so wonderful and goddamn relaxing.

Unbeknownst to the man, Sanji’s heart was thundering loudly inside his chest. The cook was biting his lower lip as he tried to concentrate on his chore. Sanji’s fingers found the swordsman’s temples and rubbed soothing circles on them, massaging the muscles and easing the stress on them.

Sanji heard a low, gruff sound come from Zoro’s throat. And if Sanji didn’t feel turned on by that, then something must be definitely wrong with him. Seeing that he couldn’t afford to have a humiliating hard-on now of all times, the blond withdrew his fingers and grabbed the dipper.

He scooped water from the pail and poured it on the swordsman, flushing the foam on his head and Sanji convinced himself that his hand was scrubbing the remaining shampoo off the man’s hair out of obligation. Not because he wanted to touch the man’s unnaturally green hair and that they felt wonderful between his fingers. No. Not at all.

After Sanji was sure that there was no shampoo left on his hair, the blond said monotonously, “Oi. Your mossy hair’s done.”

The swordsman ran a hand down his face to wipe off some water. “Scrub my back.”

The blond made a disgruntled noise. “Huh?! Are you having a death wish, Stupid Marimo?”

The Mosshead shrugged and scratched his left shoulder. “Just pushing my luck.”

The blond stared at the back of Zoro’s head, his mouth gaping slightly at the man’s words. Zoro was trying to push his luck? What did he mean by that?

Zoro grabbed a bath towel from the small basket beside the pail. He rubbed soap on it before starting to scour it on his arms, on his neck and over his shoulders. Sanji just sat there, watching silently as Zoro’s muscles flexed in every move. There was something short-circuiting inside Sanji and he was thinking for a moment that he might lose his fuse any minute now.

This was dangerous. So fucking dangerous. He’d better go. Now. And _quick_.

Sanji was about to say something to Zoro when the bath towel struggled on his back. The swordsman was trying to scrub his goddamn back but seeing that his attempt was futile, the man heaved a sigh and cursed under his breath. Zoro was about to try again to his other side when Sanji let out a sigh and snatched the towel from Zoro’s grip.

“Give me that,” the blond said, irritated. “You’re too pitiful to watch.”

Sanji folded the towel and started to scrub the man’s back, starting off with slightly harsh strokes and then subsequently slowing down into normal rubs as the blond calmed down. The blond’s eye caught the grin tugging the corners of Zoro’s mouth and his cheeks warmed up with embarrassment.

“Drop that irritating grin off your ugly face, Shithead,” he said, trying to sound annoyed.

However, instead of biting back, the swordsman just snorted in amusement and wordlessly closed his eye. A moment of comfortable silence hung between them and Sanji was able to closely admire the man’s smooth back.

Zoro’s back was broad and muscular, but the most intriguing feature about it was there were no blunt or jagged scars on it. There were a few shallow and thin cuts but they were all flat and superficial. Before Sanji could stop himself, his fingers trailed curiously on a tiny scar on Zoro’s back, feeling its smoothness under his pads as his eye stared in awe.

A breath hitched in the swordsman’s throat and his shoulders tensed under the pressure of the cook's fingertips. His fingers felt warm and wonderful on Zoro's skin that his mere touch effectively robbed his breath away.

“Your back’s surprisingly smooth,” the blond said, slightly jolting Zoro out of his stupor.

“Well, yeah. I don’t fight with my back facing my opponents,” Zoro replied, a hint of sarcasm tinting his voice.

If Sanji was irritated with that, then he must’ve let it slide because the blond asked, “When you fought Mihawk in the Baratie, way back in East Blue, why did you turn around? Why did you let him cut you in half?”

Zoro resisted laughing at the blond’s stupid question. Cutting him in half was quite an overstatement.

“Because I lost to him,” Zoro replied simply, staring off into distance as that painful memory replayed inside his head. “A scar on a swordsman’s back is a disgrace. If I were to accept my punishment for losing, then I would accept it not just a man, but as a _swordsman_. And Mihawk giving me this scar was a sign of respect.”

The swordsman looked down at the long jagged scar on his chest, running a finger along the rough line as he remembered Mihawk’s words.

_“It’s still too early for you to die. My name is Dracule Mihawk. Learn about yourself. Learn about the world. And become strong. No matter how many years it takes, I will hold this seat of the strongest and wait for you. Surpass this sword. Try to surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!”_

Zoro’s hand balled into a fist. Those were the words that he held on to from the moment he left East Blue. During his two years of training with Mihawk, he grew a deeper respect and admiration toward the man. The strongest swordsman in the world was indeed powerful and seemed unbeatable. During those two years of arduous training, Zoro realized that he still had a long way to go.

Sanji felt the seriousness in Zoro’s words and the gravity of their meaning for the swordsman. He might never tell him, but it was Zoro’s dignity and determination that made him fall for the other man in the first place.

* * *

Zoro offered to help Sanji in scrubbing his back, but the blond declined, saying that he would probably take a bath again this evening. A proper and undistracted bath.

The two went back to Usopp and Kaitarou in the large bath and eased themselves in the warm water. Sanji tried to keep his eye off the Marimo, who was sitting beside him and had his arms splayed at the edge of the tub. His head was tipped backward, his eye closed, and Sanji was having a hard time diverting his attention from the man’s inviting neck.

“I’ll go first, guys,” Usopp said, wrapping a towel around his hips, and grabbed Kaitarou’s arm. “I’ll take him with me. We’ll grab lunch upstairs.”

Sanji acknowledged him with a nod. But before Usopp could turn away, he leaned down and whispered at Sanji. “Keep it down, okay? There are still people in here. It’ll be embarrassing.”

The blond’s eyebrows knitted in confusion at his nakama’s words. The sharpshooter rolled his eyes at Sanji’s cluelessness. “You know, _that_ kind of thing,” he said pointedly and turned away with Kaitarou.

As realization dawned on Sanji, his cheeks heated up at the crude meaning of his nakama’s words. They wouldn’t, for god’s sake! It was a fucking public bath!

“Oi, Curlybrow.”

Sanji’s eyebrow twitched at that stupid nickname. Frowning, the blond turned his face to the swordsman. “What do you want?”

“Why were you embarrassed about going here with me?” Zoro asked, head tilted back and eye still closed.

Sanji fought for an excuse inside his mind, letting the words roll on his tongue but hardly making any sound. The swordsman seemed to sense the cook’s discomfort for he opened his eye and pulled his head forward. Zoro eyed him for a moment before asking with a raised eyebrow, “You don’t want to see me naked?”

“Huh?! No!” the blond exclaimed defensively but that move proved to be shameful because a playful grin curved its way on the swordsman’s lips at Sanji’s hasty reply. “I mean, yes! Yes! Fuck. Don’t get that wrong. I don’t want your naked ass anywhere near me!” the blond countered with bashful cheeks.

“Oh?” the swordsman said roguishly as amusement lit his eye. “Don’t worry because I want to use _another_ thing near you which doesn’t involve my naked ass. Well, in a way.”

It took a full moment of processing before Sanji’s brain had finally wrapped around on what Zoro had just said. His visible blue eye widened, his mouth trembled with unspoken words and the heat on his cheeks spread to his entire face like fever. The blond couldn’t believe that this idiot had just sent him a very nasty innuendo.

The smug grin on the swordsman’s face threatened to split his face into two. He was having fun in Sanji’s discomfort and it was irritating the blond to no end.

“B-Bastard,” Sanji uttered hostilely as a deep frown settled on his face.

The swordsman laughed hysterically at Sanji’s gravely flustered reaction but the blond didn’t find anything amusing about that. He was so fucking pissed off at the Marimo and he really felt the urge to drown the bastard right now.

This jerk had been pulling games on him – those smug grins and cocks of his eyebrows earlier, provoking and daring Sanji. What was this bastard thinking? Did he really find amusement in him?

Well, if it was a game that he wanted, then Sanji would give him _exactly_ just that.

Sanji rose from his spot, the water dripping from his arms, and made his way toward Zoro. The swordsman sensed Sanji’s movement and his laugh died in his throat when Sanji straddled him. The blond’s blue eye stared at him with a hooded emotion that made Zoro’s gut coil. Without another word, Sanji fisted Zoro’s hair and smashed his mouth with his.

Zoro’s eye grew wide in shock but Sanji didn’t give him time to adjust as the blond pulled his chin down with his thumb and index finger and immediately plunged his tongue inside the swordsman’s mouth. Zoro’s heart beat rapidly inside his chest and there was an unwanted growing attention to his _south_. The blond’s position on his lap was fucking sexy and he couldn’t imagine in a million years that the cook would throw himself at him like this.

Sanji bit Zoro’s lower lip and that initiated a groan from the man. Zoro’s hand wandered on Sanji’s back, feeling the firm and smooth hard muscles under his palms. Sanji kissed Zoro’s jaw, nipping on the tan skin hard which sent an electric shock to the swordsman.

Zoro’s hands wandered _lower_ and thanked whatever entity out there for his luck. His palms gripped the blond’s round, firm ass, squeezing them delightfully and earning him a very much pleasant noise from the cook. Zoro nibbled the blond’s lower lip as a grin formed in his lips.

Sanji breathed shakily and he hooked an arm around Zoro’s neck. The swordsman planned to make Sanji tremble more in his hold but he was dead wrong. Because at that moment, the swordsman’s eye flew open, his mouth hanging in a choked gasp as Sanji ground down on his lap hard.

Another grind of those sinful hips had the swordsman’s hands gripping the cook’s waist in a tight grip. He was in _full_ attention right now and he might lose his fucking mind if the cook stopped–

Sanji stood abruptly from his lap and snatched his towel from the edge of the tub. The swordsman’s hands remained suspended in the air, his mind malfunctioning at the sudden emptiness and his grey eye wide and unblinking.

“See you at lunch, Stupid Marimo,” the blond said to him, his lips curving into an arrogant grin as he pulled himself out of the large tub.

Zoro stared disbelievingly at the cook’s retreating figure. As the door slid shut behind the blond and the curious heads turned away from him awkwardly, Zoro became acutely aware of his raging hard-on and that he couldn’t possibly get out of this fucking large tub for quite some time.

-TBC

* * *

**Wonderful art by[chio-chan](https://chio-chanartbox.tumblr.com/)!**

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my. ZoSan sexy scene. *hides face in my palms*


	25. Connection

**Chapter 25: Connection**

Usopp looked back and forth at his two nakama currently facing each other across the dining table.  A spoonful of thick soup was paused halfway to his open mouth as his eyes continued to curiously take in Zoro’s deathly glare and Sanji’s nonchalant behavior.

Sanji cut a portion of his chicken, stabbing it with his fork and casually taking it in his mouth like some elite or nobleman. Zoro, on the other hand, was grudgingly ingesting a piece of sausage in his mouth as he sent another glare at the blond.

“Okay, that’s it,” Usopp said, finally giving up.

Kaitarou, who was sitting beside the sharpshooter, tipped his head up to look at the man briefly before diverting his attention back to his apple pie. Usopp questioned the two men. “What happened?”

“Ask him!” Zoro jabbed his fork toward the blond accusingly.

Usopp turned his gaze toward Sanji, who was eating peacefully and oddly unperturbed about the other man’s outburst. “Well?” Usopp said patiently.

Sanji shrugged and wiped his mouth with a table napkin. “Don’t ask me,” the blond responded and jerked him chin toward Zoro. “Ask _him_. He’s the one who’s late for _thirty minutes_.”

When Usopp looked back at Zoro, he noted the bizarre expression on his face. First, there was shock, uncertainty and… embarrassment? Was it embarrassment? Then the swordsman’s features quickly turned into a terrifying scowl.

The blond grinned meaningfully at Zoro’s irritation and that was when Usopp decided to drop the matter and leave those two idiots alone. It was probably a petty fight or a challenge or something which involved just the two of them. Yeah, better leave them alone.

Sanji put the napkin down beside his empty plate and stood up. “Just a quick smoke,” he said before turning his back and probably heading toward the deck.

“Hey, Kaitarou,” Usopp said as he bent his head down to look at the little kid beside him. “Don’t smoke when you grow up, okay? It’s bad for your health.”

The little kid shook his head as he chewed his food, small crumbs of the pie littering around his mouth. “Papa said not to smoke. Tastes bad.”

The corner of Usopp’s mouth quirked up with amusement. It was funny how Sanji told his son not to smoke because it tasted bad but continued to puff nicotine in and out of his lungs. If Sanji knew it was bad to smoke, then why was he still doing it? Usopp couldn’t remember a single time when there wasn’t a cigarette tucked between the cook’s lips, well, except more than a week ago when they had finally been reunited with Sanji.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen the cook smoke from the time he and Zoro arrived in Banaru Island. Was it because of his son? Well, it probably was.

“Drink sake when you grow up. It’s the best in the world,” Zoro said to his son with a grin.

“Zoro!” Usopp pointed a finger to his nakama. “Don’t teach your kid that nasty habit!”

“Ah? You got anything against sake?” Zoro frowned at the sharpshooter.

With a sigh, Usopp shook his head. “Sanji will kick your ass if he heard that.”

“What’s sake?” Kaitarou asked innocently with big, round eyes.

The swordsman smiled and stabbed a large piece of his chicken with his fork, putting the portion down on his son’s plate. “Here. Eat this, kid. You’re going to get hungry if you only eat that pie.”

Kaitarou’s face twisted as a pout jutted from his lower lip. “Why does Daddy call me ‘Kid’? My name’s not ‘Kid.’” Kaitarou jumped out of the chair and was about to leave when he seemed to remember something. He turned around, tiptoeing beside the table and grabbing with both hands his plate with half-eaten apple pie. “Papa said not to waste food.”

After that, the kid walked away with a grumpy expression which left Zoro speechless. “Shit.” The swordsman stood up and pushed his unfinished plate toward Usopp. “Eat mine.”

“I think I just saw a little Sanji earlier,” Usopp said, accepting Zoro’s plate.

Zoro gave out a sigh to this. “Well, that kid got the cook’s shitty mood swing.”

Before Zoro could turn his back to him, Usopp called out to his nakama. “Zoro,” he said as his nakama stared at him. “I think Kaitarou’s expecting something from you. He’s a little kid, yeah, but he’s different. He’s kind of wise and observant and he misses you even if you haven’t seen him until more than a week ago.”

Zoro’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. “What are you suggesting?”

“Well, I’m suggesting,” Usopp started as he folded his arms over the table, “that you stop calling him ‘kid’ and start to really know him better. I know you can’t call him ‘sweetie’ or ‘honey’ or ‘sweetheart’ like how Sanji calls him, so maybe you can resort to bonding with your son. He needs you, you know. If you want to make an impression, then connect with him in a deeper emotional level. You’ve not been exactly around to see him grow up. So compensate for that.”

Zoro didn’t honestly understand what Usopp was talking about because this thing was new to him. Matters like connection, bonding and endearment were the cook’s forte, not his. Zoro didn’t know if he was doing this ‘father’ thing right because the only father figure he’d had was Koshiro.

“Yeah,” Zoro said as he rubbed his neck awkwardly. “I think you’re right. Thanks.”

Usopp smiled at his nakama and whether Zoro liked it or not, the sharpshooter found Zoro’s dilemma funny and touching at the same time. “Sure. Now, go to him.”

Without another word, Zoro headed for his son. However, Usopp shouted and told him that he was going the wrong way. With a grunt and roll of his eye, Zoro managed to turn around and traverse the same corridor that his son had walked on earlier.

After a few turns and a few flight of stairs which were confusing and irritating as hell, and through his Observation Haki, the swordsman finally managed to identify his son’s location on the ship. Heading toward the stern, the swordsman looked around for a small tuft of green head and when his vision landed on a small figure sitting on top of the stack of cargo boxes, his good right eye widened in shock and fear.

“Oi, kid!” Zoro immediately sprinted toward the stack and made a few expert leaps toward the top. “Hey, what are you doing here? It’s dangerous,” Zoro said with his heart in his throat. God, this kid would be the death of him.

Kaitarou looked up to his father with wrinkled curly eyebrows and rebelliously turned around on his spot, his back facing Zoro and his plate balanced between his thighs as he sat on top of the cargo boxes. “I’m not ‘Kid,’” Kaitarou uttered again in his tiny voice.

Zoro cursed himself internally for mindlessly repeating the same mistake. “Hey. I get it, okay?” Zoro lowered himself behind Kaitarou and took his swords out of his waistband, placing them securely beside him.

Kaitarou peeked over his shoulder, his curly eyebrows scrunched and his blue eyes crystal and glassy under the sun. Zoro opened his arms, reaching for the little kid, and curved his lips into a soft and gentle smile. “Come here, _son_.”

Kaitarou blinked in surprise and stilled for a moment. But Zoro didn’t have to wait long before the kid was beaming and happily turning around to sit between his father’s crossed legs. The swordsman rolled his eye chuckling. “You’re as melodramatic as your Papa.”

The green-haired kid tilted his head up to stare at Zoro. “What’s ‘mel–matic’?” the kid asked unsurely.

The swordsman laughed loudly at his son’s poor wording. He was really still a three-year-old kid. “Don’t mind that,” Zoro said when his laugh died down. “So, you finished eating your food?”

The kid nodded and put the plate aside. “How did you get up here anyway?” Zoro asked confusedly.

“I climbed up,” the kid answered as he fiddled on the hem of Zoro’s black coat.

“What?” Zoro exclaimed in surprise. His eye widened and peeked to the side at how far they were sitting from the ground. It was more or less seven feet and this little kid on his lap was no more than two feet!

Zoro stared at his son disbelievingly as logic just simply denied all of his reasons. However, a pleased grin appeared on the swordsman’s mouth when he thought that, heck, this kid was his and the cook’s son. If he could climb a tall stack of wooden boxes like this at his age, then he would surely grow strong like them.

Maybe, when they got back to the Sunny, he would teach his kid a few of the basics in swordsmanship. That would be great. He could envision his kid running around the ship with Usopp’s specially made wooden sword. Maybe, four-sword style would suit his kid. Yeah, it would definitely make him badass.

When silence stretched a little further, Zoro scratched his neck as he searched for his next words. “So, uh,” he began. “What’s your favorite color?” Oh, yeah, that sounded lame. Fuck.

“Color?” Kaitarou thought for a moment before pointing his index finger toward the blue sea. “Orange.”

The swordsman followed the course of his son’s finger and a wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows. “No, that’s blue. Not orange.”

The kid shook his head and pointed up at the sun this time. “Orange!” Then he pointed at the ocean again. “Orange!” The little kid looked back at his father with a wide smile. “When the sun hides, there’s orange!”

An amused smile crept on Zoro’s lips. “Oh, you mean, sunset?”

Kaitarou nodded and looked toward the blue ocean. “It’s beautiful.”

“Well,” Zoro started, “you want to watch the sunset with me?”

Kaitarou stared back at him with surprise and excitement. “Yes!”

The swordsman laughed heartily but before he could ask the little kid again about something, Kaitarou twisted around and hugged Zoro’s body with the right side of his face buried on the swordsman’s chest. “I love Daddy,” the kid said.

A certain kind of emotion flashed across the swordsman’s grey eye and he was quite sure that his chest was brimming with warmth right now. His hand automatically found that small green head and he patted it affectionately.

“Yeah,” he answered, “me too, son.”

* * *

Sanji walked toward the railing on the deck, lighting up a cigarette for himself and shuddering slightly as he inhaled a lungful. What he did to Zoro earlier in the public bath was genius and hilarious. The bastard must’ve had calmed himself first before being able to push himself out of the tub.

Ha! That was what he got for being a dick.

Grinning triumphantly, Sanji enjoyed his first stick in peace. As he lit up a second one, the blond sensed a few sets of unfamiliar footsteps thudding on the floorboards. When he released the first smoke of his second cigarette, his unwanted visitors were already beside him, well, actually, _around_ him.

“Hey, blondie.”

Sanji’s curly eyebrow twitched at that. “What do you bastards want?” he said, clearly apathetic to the newly arrived men.

The man who talked earlier laughed and looked at Sanji with amusement in his eyes. He was taller than Sanji, maybe three feet more, but height, built and weight were all bullshit in the face of raw power. “Some of us saw what you and that green-haired guy did in the public bath. It was really _arousing_.” The man said the last word with a slight purr which made Sanji’s stomach churn in disgust.

He should be flustered because these six men saw his and Zoro’s obscene action earlier in the public bath. But, heck, Sanji knew a full-pledged bastard when he saw one.

Irritated, the blond shoved his hands inside his pockets and faced the man fully, his stance oozing with confidence and his face wearing an arrogant and bored expression. “Get lost, Shithead.”

The man’s companion whistled at Sanji’s rude attitude and the other ones seemed to peak their interest at him. The man stepped forward but Sanji didn’t budge. He wasn’t fucking intimidated in the least. Hell no.

“You’re quite a slut earlier, ‘ya know?” The man advanced forward and crudely gripped and squeezed Sanji’s ass with both hands. “Wanna be my beautiful little bitch, huh, blondie?”

The next thing that happened was a sudden upturn. The man was flown across the deck, his back hitting a far-away post, gracing the strong metal with a clear imprint of the man’s dorsal side. Sanji lowered his leg, tapping the point of his shoe on the wooden floor before eyeing the remaining bastards through his lashes.

“Fucking perverts,” he snarled and the party table started.

* * *

“There’s a fight!”

“What? Where?”

“On the deck!”

“The sailors are stopping the fight now!”

Zoro watched a few passengers run toward the deck of the ship. His forehead creased at first but when one of the passengers uttered the word ‘blond,’ his mouth immediately shifted into a toothy grin. “Hey, son,” Zoro said and felt a slight flutter in his chest as the last word rolled on his tongue, “want to see Papa fight?”

* * *

Zoro pushed through the crowd as Kaitarou wrapped an arm around his neck, sitting on Zoro’s left arm as the swordsman carried him so he could clearly see the scene unfold in front of him. The little kid smiled and Zoro’s stupid grin stretched wider when both of them caught that blond hair standing amidst the fallen bodies of men who, undoubtedly, were larger and bulkier than him.

The blond’s left hand was pushed deep into his pocket as his right took the cigarette from his lips. The cook blew a steady stream of smoke above his head, his eyes closed to feel the rush from his lungs, and Zoro couldn’t deny to himself that the cook looked so fucking badass and sexy right now.

“See that?” the swordsman said to his son, pointing at the blond cook. “Your Papa’s strong, huh?”

Kaitarou nodded excitedly with eyes full of admiration. “Papa!” the kid called the blond.

Sanji’s eyes snapped open and his vision found his son in a heartbeat. He was staring wide-eyed at his kid who was waving happily at him and was being carried by… the Marimo? When his blue eye landed on the swordsman, the bastard cocked an eyebrow at him and a mysterious grin distended his lips.

“S-Sir,” a scared sailor started to ask, maintaining a safe distance from the dangerous blond, “may I ask what happened?”

Sanji flicked his unfinished cigarette with his forefinger and thumb toward the ocean. “Ask these bastards when they wake up in a few hours. You might want to lock them up in the brig.”

“B-But, sir,” the sailor continued nervously as sweat dampened his neck, “our captain ordered us to make you go with us as well–”

“THAT BASTARD KICKED US OUT OF NOWHERE!” The crowd’s attention shifted on the crumpled body lying on the floor. The man jabbed an accusing finger at Sanji as his dark eyes stared at him with wild fury. “I was just asking him for directions then he suddenly attacked us!”

The blond’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance but before he could kick the man’s skull, a woman’s voice aired in the commotion. “I–I saw what happened!” the lady said and pointed a trembling finger at the shocked man. “That man’s companion _touched_ that mister over there!”

“WHAT?”

Sanji’s eyes shifted from the beautiful mademoiselle to the source of that angry voice. His jaw dropped when he saw Zoro approaching them with an angry scowl, landing their son onto his feet, pulling out Wado’s hilt and in a flash, the blade glinted dangerously a breath’s range near the man’s throat.

The man’s face paled considerably and his hands trembled at his sides. “Oi, Zoro!” Sanji grabbed his nakama’s shoulder but the swordsman’s furious grey eye continued to burn through the man’s skull.

“You bastards did _what_?” he demanded angrily.

“Nothing! Nothing!” the man wailed like a scared dog.

But Zoro didn’t buy that shit. His fingers crushed against Wado’s hilt and a slight movement from him would mean a rolling head on the floor. “Zoro,” the cook’s hand gripped tighter on his shoulder. His voice was low and a frown was wrinkling his forehead. “I took care of it. Let’s go.”

The swordsman seemed to debate about it for a few seconds before lowering Wado’s blade and sheathing her home to her saya. The blond eyed the sailor, saying, “Take them to the brig.” And when his eye landed on the young lady who stood up for him, the blond’s eye softened and he made his way toward her.

Sanji put his arm in front of him and bowed like a gentleman. “I don’t deserve your kindness, mademoiselle. But, thank you.”

The young lady’s cheeks blushed. “Oh, no, Mister! Please lift up your head!”

Zoro rolled his eye at this and the low grunt that he unconsciously gave out was not left unheard by the cook. The blond excused himself from the angel’s presence and made his way back to the man. Kaitarou was now beside a grumpy-looking Zoro, his right hand clutched at his father’s coat and the tip of his left index finger slipped between his lips, looking at Sanji innocently with big blue eyes.

The bastards’ asses were being hauled into the brig and the conscious jerk was shouting loud curses at Sanji. The swordsman seemed ticked off by that but he managed to hold himself back. “Come on,” Sanji urged the swordsman, slipping his hand along Zoro’s palm and intertwining his fingers with the other man’s.

The swordsman let Sanji lead him away from the crowd as his other hand handled his son’s hand. “You don’t have to be mad for me,” he heard Sanji say.

The swordsman’s eyebrows furrowed. “You can’t boss me around about that, Cook. I’ll be mad to whomever I want.”

Sanji gave out a sigh. “I’m perfectly fine, Marimo.”

“I know!” the swordsman exclaimed. “But those bastards _touched_ you.”

Sanji gripped tighter at Zoro’s hand. “I’m a _man_ , Shithead,” he said frowning, “I’m not some delicate woman who can’t protect herself. I’m completely capable of kicking their asses.”

“That’s not the point, Shitty Cook,” the man sighed in frustration.

Sanji knew well what the point was. He knew that Zoro was being overprotective and he didn’t want anyone touching him. He probably would be, too, if someone appeared out of nowhere and started roaming his or her hand on Zoro. The idea made him sick and angry.

“I know. I know.” Sanji stepped in front of Zoro and placed his hand beside the swordsman’s neck. He tipped his head up and placed a chaste and reassuring kiss on the swordsman’s mouth. Zoro’s lips parted a little after Sanji backed away and the anger in his grey eye earlier was replaced by something that Sanji was well-acquainted with these past few days.

Affection and desire.

“Stop worrying, Stupid Marimo. You’ll grow ugly wrinkles,” the blond teased. “Drop it, will you?”

The swordsman closed his eye and grumbled, “Fine.”

Sanji’s thumb caressed the swordsman’s hand as a smile curved on his lips. “Let’s go to the room. Help me change my bandages.”

* * *

The second day of their voyage was peaceful. Sanji was inside the room, sitting on his bed and formulating a new recipe about a vegetable called "romanesco" which was the main ingredient in their dinner earlier.

After a few minutes, the blond put his quill between the pages of his recipe book and placed it on top of the end table. Sanji stood from his bed and walked silently toward his son. The little kid was tucked warmly inside his blanket and his small chubby arms were embracing his teddy bear.

A gentle smile curved Sanji’s lips and he ran a hand on his son’s head, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on that funny green hair and whispered a low ‘good night’ to his ear. As Sanji walked back to his bed, he noted the swordsman’s loud snoring and his eyebrow twitched at his nakama’s lack of refinement.

He let it slide though. The swordsman was undoubtedly spending more time with their son, always watching the sunset with the little kid and Sanji couldn’t deny that his heart just leapt in his throat when he heard Zoro call Kaitarou his ‘son.’

It was endearing and heartwarming and… fuck. Sanji couldn’t think straight anymore. It was just too good and real that he was lost for words. He never knew that Zoro would be this cute whenever he was with Kaitarou.

Sanji killed the oil lamp on the end table and tucked himself on his bed, closing his eyes and letting sleep embrace his world as a faint smile stretched his lips in the darkness.

* * *

It was just a silent thud from their room, but Sanji awoke from the terrible feeling pulling at his senses. The blond’s eyes opened slowly, blinking in the darkness for a moment before he could clearly feel the ominous presence a few feet above them.

“Oi, Marimo,” he said, and when he heard the bed creaked above him, he knew that Zoro was awake as hell right now.

“I know, Shitty Cook,” the man answered.

“Should I check?” Sanji suggested but the swordsman heaved himself up from the bed, pushing himself down and landing stealthily on his feet.

“I’ll do it,” he simply said as he wore his boots and tucked his katanas in his waistband. “I’ll be right back.”

The swordsman gripped the handle and opened the door. He looked along the hallway and when he noted that the coast was clear, he closed the door behind him silently as to not wake up his sleeping son. The blond pushed himself up from the bed as well, his feet sliding inside his shoes as he stood up and positioned himself in front of the door.

His hands safeguarded themselves inside his pants’ pockets as Sanji threw a glance at his son. Well, shit. He had a hunch that this would be a rowdy night.

* * *

When Zoro knocked at his nakama’s room, the sharpshooter was already wide awake. Vallo and Sora were also alert and sitting on their respective beds.

“I think I felt something bad. So I woke them up,” Usopp reasoned out and the swordsman nodded to this. His nakama’s Observation Haki developed significantly better over the course of four years and he knew from experience that Usopp’s haki was quite reliable.

“Something’s going on up there,” Zoro said. “I’m gonna go and check it out.”

“Where’s Sanji?” Usopp asked.

“He’s with Kaitarou,” Zoro answered and he saw the slight shiver of fear ran across Usopp’s face.

“Right,” the sharpshooter said, pushing his nervousness away. “I’ll stay here with them.”

Zoro left the room and jogged silently toward the stairs leading up to the side of the ship. The ocean was quiet and the surrounding was bathed with darkness. Zoro closed his eye and let his Observation Haki do the work.

After three seconds, Zoro’s eye flew open and he gripped Wado’s hilt, sending a powerful slash toward his left. There was a pained grunt as something heavy fell on the floorboards. The next thing that happened was a blur as Zoro rampaged on the intruders at the deck.

The bell of the ship rang in response to the sudden commotion. Sailors with guns in their hands joined the fight. Zoro’s eye landed on the men, or perhaps, _pirates_ , who were hauling off bags and stolen things to their ship.

The swordsman growled, Wado between his teeth and Shisui and Kitetsu in both hands, as he launched after the escaping sea thieves. Pirates who stole unblinkingly from innocent people were one of the worst kinds.

“Santoryu.” Zoro spun around quickly, creating a large dragon-like tornado. “Kokujo: Ō Tatsu Maki!”

The pirates screamed as their flesh was pierced by Zoro’s blade, spinning into the air helplessly at the power of Zoro’s attack. The waves reacted to the technique, lapping the ship in its waves which made Zoro’s feet stumble a little. The ropes which connected the pirate ship to the vessel were cut and the ship drifted away from them.

“Mist Prison!”

Zoro’s surrounding clouded, the whiteness of the mist mixing up with the ocean’s darkness and practically blinding him in every direction. Fuck. There was a Devil’s Fruit user?

Seeing that it was pointless to use his vision, the swordsman closed his eye to heighten his other senses. He sensed a movement to the right and he immediately lifted Kitetsu up to block the incoming attack. A blade connected with his katana and he tried to open his eye to look for his attacker but he couldn’t see a single thing but the faint image of a blade clashing with Kitetsu.

“Roronoa Zoro, huh?” a voice said hoarsely.

Zoro swept Shusui in front of him but the other pirate’s blade retracted before he could cut him. “I heard you defeated one of Kaido-sama’s high officials?” the man said.

Kaido-sama? Was this bastard's pirate crew under Kaido's flag?

Zoro frowned. “Shut up.” He hated mouthy bastards like this one. Well, except for the cook.

After a few more clashes, the man spoke again, “I heard a rumor about you. They said that you have a _son_.” Zoro’s breath choked in his throat and his body went rigid. “Is it that little fellow lying _dead_ over there?”

Zoro’s face paled instantly at that and his eye searched through the mist in panic for his son. But that moment of slack defense was the one that the man was waiting for. Zoro didn’t manage to react on time as the pirate’s blade pierced through the flesh on his arm. The swordsman staggered back as he groaned in pain, his left hand covering the large cut on his right biceps.

Zoro caught a faint glow of yellow light running toward them. And before he could react for another split second, his opponent was already screaming loudly as his body hit the railing, destroying the structure with a loud crash and falling to the depths of the ocean.

The swordsman ran away hastily, his eye searching for his son frantically and he could feel that his neck would break due to his panic. The mist started to dissipate and Zoro found himself slashing through the remaining enemies.

“Zoro!”

He heard a familiar voice. But the swordsman’s hearing was clouded by his desire to locate his son as soon as possible. The voice called his name again but it resonated dully inside his ear. He couldn’t see anything, his breathing was fast and his heart was thudding inside his chest wildly–

“Zoro!” A pair of hands snatched Zoro’s face, halting his movements, and the swordsman found himself face to face with that lovely blue eye.

Sanji noticed Zoro’s rapid breathing, his grey eye frantically wide and every muscle rigid with tension. “Zoro, look at me,” the blond uttered breathily. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“K-Kaitarou. He–where’s he?” the swordsman asked in a raspy voice.

“He’s safe. He’s with Usopp. Calm down, okay?” Sanji ran his palm on Zoro’s forehead, wiping the beaded sweat over his skin and raking his fingers through the swordsman’s hair.

“I–” The swordsman swallowed thickly. “I need to see him.”

The blond leaned forward and placed a hasty kiss on Zoro’s lips. “Okay.”

Sanji pulled Zoro with him, the swordsman’s left hand covering his injured arm, as they jogged toward their nakama’s room. The blond felt the swordsman calming down but he knew that he couldn’t completely regain his composure if he didn’t see Kaitarou.

Whatever that pirate bastard had said to Zoro was effective enough to rattle the man. Maybe, the shithead had said something about killing their son, or somewhere along that line. If Sanji would be the one to hear a sick declaration like that, then he might flip just like Zoro earlier.

“Usopp!” Sanji shouted as they approached the room. The door flew open and the sharpshooter immediately ran outside the room.

“Oh my god, Zoro!” Usopp’s eyes widened at Zoro’s wound. However, the swordsman pushed his way through the door and his eye found that small green head faster than a blink.

“Daddy!” The little kid ran toward his father, who crouched and immediately opened his arms to welcome his son in a tight embrace. The kid wrapped his arms around Zoro’s neck as he buried his face on his father’s shoulder.

The blond heard a relieved sigh escape from the swordsman’s lips. As Zoro calmed down, he approached the man and knelt down beside him. “Oi, Zoro,” he said and his nakama opened his eye to look at him. “Let Vallo-san treat your wound.”

“Yes. Come here,” Vallo beckoned Zoro with a nod of his head.

Sanji put a comforting hand on Zoro’s shoulder. “We’ll be here.”

After those words, the swordsman willfully let the child go. Usopp went out to see if the fight had already died down. After disinfecting Zoro’s wound, Vallo asked for Zoro's permission to stitch it up. He asked Sora to take Kaitarou outside for stitching a gaping wound wasn’t exactly a friendly sight for a kid.

The swordsman tensed up to that, not wanting the kid anywhere away from him, but Sanji assured him that the two would just be outside and at arm’s length. After silently agreeing to it, Sora grabbed Kaitarou’s hand and closed the door behind them.

Sanji could see the pain on the swordsman’s face, how his eye shut tightly, how his forehead furrowed and how a muscle on his jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth. But not once had a whine escaped from his mouth. The swordsman had a high pain tolerance and he was used to being stitched up several times. However, not using an anesthetic surely sucked really bad.

After covering the stitched up wound with a clean bandage, Vallo pushed himself to his feet and eyed Sanji. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

Sanji nodded in appreciation and watched as the man closed the door behind him. The blond stepped forward, situating himself in front of the swordsman and when he noticed the pensive look on the swordsman’s eye, Sanji knelt down between Zoro’s legs and placed a gentle hand on his thigh.

“Hey,” he said quietly.

Zoro blinked but avoided the blond’s gaze. He sighed. “I panicked.”

“That’s okay,” Sanji assured him.

“I thought–” Zoro paused for a moment. “I thought Kaitarou was killed. That bastard knew that I have a son and he said that Kaitarou was lying dead on the ground and I just… snapped. Then I panicked. I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Sanji’s face dawned with a certain kind of searing emotion for the swordsman. He was sharing the man’s pain and he knew how hard it was for his nakama to maintain composure in that situation. “I know. I know,” Sanji uttered silently as his hand went to the swordsman’s face, his thumb caressing the man’s cheek with soothing strokes.

“I would probably react the same way you did,” Sanji said to him.

“Fuck,” Zoro cursed quietly as he closed his eye tightly. “It was fucking horrifying.”

The blond’s heart clenched at Zoro’s despair and he mindlessly leaned forward to press his lips on the swordsman’s right cheek. Sanji’s lips continued to trail soft kisses on the swordsman’s face – at the corner of his mouth, under his eye, over his eyelid, between his eyebrows down to the bridge of his nose, up to the tip and even to its side.

The whole room was silent and the only noise that Sanji could hear was Zoro’s breaths... and his rapidly beating heart. When the swordsman calmed down completely, Sanji pulled away to press his forehead against the man’s. His thumb continued to caress Zoro’s cheek and they both closed their eyes, satisfied by the silent breaths between them, enjoying each other’s presence and savoring the heated connection between them.

Zoro ran his hands up the cook’s neck and he placed a soft peck on the blond’s lips before pressing his forehead against Sanji again. The words fell automatically from his lips, the letters burning brightly on his tongue and clawing every emotion right from his very core.

The blond shivered and a choked gasp escaped his lips when he heard Zoro say, “I love you, _Sanji_.”

\- TBC

* * *

 Wonderful artworks made by **[Penumbrazxs](http://penumbrazxs.tumblr.com)**  on Tumblr!

 

Amazing art illustration by **[mizueki](http://mizueki.tumblr.com) ** on Tumblr!

Zoro and Kaitarou watching the sunset. <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all about connection between Zoro, Sanji and Kaitarou – the bond which holds the three of them together. :)  
> Thank you for reading! I hope you're enjoying every bit of this story!


	26. Diversion

**Chapter 26: Diversion**

“Land ho!”

The vessel docked at the old port of Bartero Island around five in the afternoon. Their voyage was two to three hours late due to the unfortunate event last night. As Sanji and the others carried their bags and walked down the ramp, the cook overheard a few angry passengers shouting at the sailors and demanding a compensation for their stolen belongings.

“We’ll stay here for the night,” Sanji announced to the group, specifically to Zoro and Usopp. “The next vessel won’t arrive until six in the morning tomorrow.”

“Here, Sanji-san.” Sora handed the blond a slightly frayed gray cloak. The cook accepted it with a thank you and then wore the overgarment which he remembered painfully clear.

It was the same gray cloak he wore when he escaped to Banaru Island four years ago.

Geared up with their respective cloaks, the group marched toward the market center. Sanji looked around and was surprised that not much had changed here in these past few years. The blond kept his head low, brushing off a few unwanted stares from passers-by and keeping unnecessary attention off of him.

He was basically in the enemies’ territory. He couldn’t afford to have a huge conflict here, not when he had his son to worry about. A low stomach growl caused Sanji’s ears to perk up. He looked at the walking Marimo beside him who had his head turned away but the blond didn’t miss the bashful red color tinting the tips of Zoro’s ear.

“Oi, Marimo,” Sanji called the man.

The swordsman turned his head around and looked at the cook with his good eye. “What?”

“Do you want to eat?” Sanji asked.

“Nah. ‘m fine. Let’s keep going.”

Sanji sighed, seeing that it was no use arguing with the stubborn man right now. “Hey,” he called to the group, who stopped on their tracks to give Sanji a curious look.

“Oi, Cook. It’s fine–”

“Let’s eat over there,” Sanji said, cutting the man off and pointing at a delicious-looking stall a few feet away from them.

“Oh, right. I could use a stick or two. Man, I’m starving,” Usopp announced as he rubbed his stomach.

The swordsman sighed but didn’t say anything further as the group made their way to the barbeque stall. The aroma became thicker as they approached, wafting the air with rich spices and smoke.

“Good afternoon, mister!” the guy behind the stall greeted Sanji. “Have a taste of my food! It’s the best barbeque in the whole island!”

“Heh,” Sanji said amusingly as he examined the grilling meat. “If that’s the case then don’t mind if I do.” Sanji picked up the nicely grilled ones, handing the sticks of juicy meat to his companions.

“Here, Marimo,” Sanji shoved the stick to the swordsman’s face. “Eat up or the grass on your head will die.”

“Tch. I said I’m fine, Dumbass Cook,” the swordsman countered, frowning as he snatched the stick from the blond’s hold.

The cook rolled his eyes, deciding to leave the stubborn jackass alone and instead, focus his attention to the little cute moss beside him. Sanji smiled and bent down to hand the stick to his son. “Here, sweetie.”

The kid held the stick with two hands, eyes staring at the juicy meat hotly smoking in front of him. “Papa. What’s this?”

“It’s barbeque,” Sanji responded. “I haven’t made one for you before but it tastes great.”

Kaitarou’s eyes widened with excitement and he instantly turned around to run at Zoro’s side. “Daddy! Daddy! Look! _Babaque_!” Kaitarou exclaimed happily, hoisting the stick of meat for his father to see.

The green-haired man laughed and patted his son’s head. “It’s _barbeque._ ”

The swordsman crouched in front of his son and flashed him a wide grin. “Eat it. Like this.” The man opened his mouth wide and chomped on the juicy meat, feeling the oil and taste rolling inside his mouth. It was damn good.

Kaitarou watched his father for a moment before taking a bite on his stick. However, the little kid immediately pulled his mouth away, tongue sticking out and fresh tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. “Hot!”

Zoro laughed at his son’s hasty action. “Don’t eat it while it’s still hot. Blow it like this.” The swordsman grabbed his son’s hands as he leaned forward to teach his son how to blow the damn thing off. “See?”

Kaitarou nodded and imitated Zoro’s action, puffing his chubby cheeks with air and blowing the hot steam off the meat. Sanji chuckled at Zoro and Kaitarou who looked stupid blowing together the hot meat.

“Well, Zoro sure has that ‘father’ aura now, huh?”

The blond looked at Usopp’s grinning face and his cheeks flushed a rich pink color because, hell, he was practically thinking the same thing. Sanji looked away but the sharpshooter didn’t miss the blush on his neck and ears.

“Hey, Usopp,” Sanji called.

“Hm?” Usopp hummed as he took a bite on his delicious food.

“Is it okay to be this giddy?”

The sharpshooter smiled as he chewed on his barbeque. The cook was undoubtedly happy but was too embarrassed to admit it. “Of course, idiot.” He put a hand on Sanji’s shoulder. “I mean it’s your son _and_ your lover.”

Sanji flushed brighter at the last word. Fuck. Okay, well, he and Zoro were technically lovers now. Not that they needed a label or anything but it was just how it was, right? They confessed to each other and they were being sappy and touchy all this time. They held hands quite a few times and they had shared gentle and rough kisses before.

God. It was just overwhelming Sanji. His brain couldn’t wrap around the idea that he finally had the swordsman’s heart in his hands – lying bare and vulnerable at Sanji’s mercy. And the mere idea of having that kind of control over the prideful and strong man did _things_ to the blond.

After paying for their food, the group walked their way to Dr. Ranport’s medical shop. “So, who are we visiting again?” the swordsman inquired.

“Ranport-san,” the blond answered. “Vallo-san’s father. He’s a doctor and I owed him a lot.”

Zoro rummaged through his brain if that name rang a familiar bell inside his mind. After a few seconds of getting lost in thought, the swordsman remembered an old man treating the cook when he was inside Sanji’s memory. The old man appeared to be a doctor and he was the one who helped the cook in their son’s delivery. Maybe, it was the same person the cook was talking about.

Zoro’s curious eye examined the dilapidated sign board hanging outside the shop. Vallo and Sora were the first ones to open the door. “Father?” Vallo called out into the dark room.

“Oh my god!”

Zoro and Sanji immediately darted toward the shop, their senses high and alert. Sora was gripping his father’s cloak tightly, her left hand covering her gaping mouth as her emerald eyes were in full-blown size. Vallo had a horrified look on his face as he stared at the absolute mayhem in front of him.

The shop’s goods were broken and into pieces. The walls had cracks on them and it looked like that the whole place was turned upside down. “Oh my god, Father!” Vallo ran toward the back room to search for his father. Sora went with him and Sanji asked Usopp to run after the two. There might be enemies lurking inside the place and Sanji was about to find every last piece of shit of them to kick their asses.

“What the hell happened here?” Zoro asked to no one in particular, nudging broken shards of glass with his boot.

“Fuck. It’s my fault,” Sanji muttered as his balled fists shook with guilt and rage.

“Oi, it’s not your fault, Cook.” Zoro put a hand on Sanji’s shoulder but the blond brushed him off and spun around to look at him in panic.

“Yes, it is, dumbass! If–if I hadn’t met them. If I hadn’t gotten them involved in my mess then Ranport-san–”

Zoro clamped a hand on the cook’s mouth, taking Sanji by surprise and effectively halting whatever self-loathing words he was about to spit out. The swordsman’s forehead creased as his frown grew deeper. “It’s not your damn fault,” Zoro said sternly.

The swordsman took a step closer to Sanji, invading his personal circle. “Would you rather prefer not to be helped by them? Do you regret being with them?”

The blond’s blue eye fluttered hesitantly at Zoro’s words. The swordsman’s questions were akin to a cold water that put out the fire in Sanji’s system. As the blond calmed down, he touched the back of Zoro’s hand on his mouth. He closed his eyes and planted a soft, warm kiss on the swordsman’s palm.

Electricity jolted from Zoro’s palm up to his chest, pumping his heart rapidly as his cheeks flushed because of the cook’s affectionate gesture. Sanji pulled his lips away from Zoro’s palm and he opened his blue eyes to stare at the startled man. His fingers brushed the inside of Zoro’s wrist as he contemplated what to say next.

“You’re right,” Sanji said with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Zoro answered after regaining his composure.

“Guys!”

The two men snapped their heads to their nakama, who was running toward them and holding a piece of paper. Vallo and Sora were with him and they both looked shaken and at lost of what to do. Sanji withdrew his hand from Zoro’s wrist and the swordsman quietly lamented on the loss of warmth and contact.

“He’s–he’s not anywhere!” Vallo said in panic as Sora stroked his father’s arm to calm him down.

“And we found this,” Usopp said and gave the small piece of paper to Sanji.

The blond noted the roughly scribbled handwriting on the paper and his eyes widened as he read the written words.

_‘We have the old man. Make Blackleg go to the abandoned factory in Block 23 ALONE. Midnight. If you don’t comply, we’ll kill the damn old man. Trust me. We’ll know.’_

Sanji’s hand crumpled the paper, his fist trembling with fury at the bastards’ dirty game. How dare they involve Ranport-san in this? It was his own goddamn mess and if they wanted to get Sanji that desperately, then they should face him head-on. Fucking cowards.

“Sanji?” Usopp eyed the blond worriedly. He could see at the way his eyebrows creased and his jaw tightened that the blond would undoubtedly play the bait here. “Sanji,” Usopp said as he took a step toward his nakama. “I–”

“Don’t even think about it, Cook.”

Usopp and Sanji turned their heads toward the swordsman. He was frowning seriously at the blond and his hand was clasping the hilt of his white katana in a death grip. Zoro was thinking about the same thing after all.

“Zoro–” Sanji started but the man cut him off.

“We’re not fucking talking about this. I won’t let you go alone. That’s final,” the swordsman said in a stern and serious voice which made Usopp shiver in slight fear.

Sanji scowled at the man and shot him a deathly glare. “Don’t be so fucking selfish, Damn Swordsman. Ranport-san’s life is at stake here. If I don’t go alone–”

“Either we go together or you won’t go at all. Your choice, Cook,” Zoro said lowly.

The two men stared each other off, weighing each other’s strengths and resolve and one look from a civilian would make him think that the entire place had gone cold because of the two pirates’ intensive glares.

“You think you can stop me, dumbass?” Sanji said testily.

“If I have to tie you up in a goddamn boulder with all the goddamn ropes in this island, I will,” Zoro countered with a serious glare on his face.

“O-Oi!” Usopp stepped between his two nakama and gave a nervous laugh. “Come on, guys! It’s not the time to argue! We have to think of a plan right now.”

“I already have a plan but this bastard won’t listen to me,” Sanji gave Zoro an accusing look.

“Say what you want to say, Dartboard Brow. But I’m not listening to your fucked up plan,” Zoro said indignantly.

The blond’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He understood Zoro’s defiance, but it was not the time to be selfish. He could take care of his own goddamn self. He could kick the bastards’ asses with his own strength because he didn’t have to protect anyone. He would be more focused on the battle and he didn’t have to worry about his son getting hurt–

Sanji’s eyes grew wide at the realization. His eyes looked around the room in panic and Usopp was the first one to notice the cook’s strange behavior. “Sanji?”

The blond stared wide-eyed at Zoro and the pure horror in his blue eye set Zoro’s alarms off in every worst possible way. “Cook?”

Sanji darted outside the shop, his heart beating painfully fast inside his chest as his eye scanned the vicinity. “Oi, Cook!” Zoro said as he ran after him. “What the hell’s your problem?”

“Kaitarou.” Sanji’s face paled as he looked at Zoro. His hands balled at the swordsman’s thick black coat as he shouted loudly, “Where the fuck is he?!”

* * *

 

Zoro ran through dark alleyways, footsteps quiet and eye sharp as a cat’s. He didn’t know where the hell he was. All he knew was that he was looking for his son.

Grave worry was clawing the cook’s insides and Zoro couldn’t stand to see him like that. Fuck. He was also goddamn worried about his son. If those bastards touched even a single hair on his kid, he was sure as hell that the surrounding waters of this island would be tainted with blood.

Zoro lowered his pace on the bar district. Attracting unwanted attention, especially the marines, was the last thing he wanted right now. He had his Observation Haki in full gear but he couldn’t pick up his son’s location.

After rounding around a few blocks, Zoro’s haki picked up a familiar aura approaching him from behind. The swordsman turned around and saw Sora running toward him. Zoro met her halfway and the teenager panted for a moment before smiling at Zoro.

“We found Kaitarou, Zoro-san!”

Relief flushed into Zoro’s system and it was as if a big rock had been lifted off his shoulders. Sora was gripping his sleeve as they ran and he wondered for a moment if the fucking cook had told her about his sense of direction.

He _was_ completely fine with his sense of direction. _Nothing_ was wrong with it.

Not having the heart to brush the teenager’s hand away and thinking that it would be faster this way, Zoro let Sora lead him to the rendezvous point. After a few minutes of running, they rounded into an alley and Zoro almost sighed his heart out in relief when he saw that tuft of green hair.

“Hey. Hey.” Zoro immediately crouched down and gripped his son’s arms. “Hey, son. Are you okay?”

Kaitarou was staring at him, or rather, _through_ him. His vibrant blue eyes were now of dull color and his son seemed to be lost in space. “Son?”

“He’s in a trance.” Vallo quickly knelt down beside Zoro and opened a dusty glass bottle.

“What?” Zoro asked in confusion.

“Someone hypnotized him, Zoro,” Usopp answered. “And Vallo-san ran off to get this bottle of oil that can snap Kaitarou out of it.”

Zoro’s eyebrows pulled together and his grey eye burnt with rage. How dare those bastards do this to his son. They would pay. In one way or another.

Vallo poured a small amount of the aromatic oil on his palm, rubbing the slick textures with his fingers and reaching out to Kaitarou’s face. “This oil is made up of bergamot,” the man explained as he drew a line along the kid’s chin, on his upper lip, along the bridge of his nose, under his eyes, over his eyelids and on his forehead. “It’s a blessed oil imported from the island of priests and priestesses. We use this to counteract hypnotisms.”

After a while, the emotion and color on Kaitarou’s eyes grew back and he blinked at his father’s worried face. “Daddy?”

“Hey.” Zoro ran a hand on his son’s head. “Are you okay?”

Kaitarou nodded. “Where’s the candy man?

Zoro’s eyebrows furrowed at his son’s words. “What candy man?”

“There’s a man with a lollipop.” Kaitarou motioned his arms in a wide circle. “This big! It looks yummy. But Papa said not to get food from strangers.”

Zoro nodded to this. “That’s right. Never take anything from strangers, okay?”

“How come he was hypnotized if Kaitarou didn’t take that lollipop?” Usopp queried the brown-haired man.

Vallo stood up and dusted off his gray cloak. “Did the candy man make you look at the lollipop?” When Kaitarou nodded, the man sighed and looked at his companions for an explanation. “There are different types of hypnotism. Some people make you look at them in the eye. Some whisper something to your ear and snap their fingers to complete the trance. And some use objects to hypnotize other people. The one who got Kaitarou was probably an ‘object trancer.’”

Zoro swallowed painfully as a new spark of anger flared in his chest. “Where did you find him?”

“At the dock,” Sora answered. “He was just… standing there and staring at the sea.”

“Was the bastard who did this with him?” the swordsman asked.

Sora shook her head. “No. He was alone when my dad and I found him.”

Zoro stood up and gripped the hilt of his white katana. His eyebrows creased tightly and something bothersome was lounging inside his chest, tugging at his consciousness like a dead whisper. When he looked at his nakama, Usopp also had this strange expression on his face. His dark eyebrows were pulled down and his thick lips were set into a thin line. It was as if he was thinking that something wasn’t right. That something was definitely _wrong_ here and they were _missing_ the big part of it.

If the bastards were after their son to use him against Zoro and Sanji, then that bastard ‘candy man’ wouldn’t get through the trouble of hypnotizing his kid if he would just leave him there at the dock.

“Oh my god!”

Zoro’s head snapped at Usopp’s frantic expression. His dark eyes were wide and his face was a few shades paler than normal. “It’s...” the sharpshooter’s voice trembled as his hands gripped his kinky black hair. “It’s a _trap_!”

The swordsman’s jaw fell slack at the realization and he quickly turned around to look at the wide street from the dark alley he was in. His heart beat painfully inside his chest every second the whole reality settled on him with a loud thud.

It was a trap. It was a _fucking_ trap! That candy man wasn’t after Kaitarou. That bastard used his son to divert their attention, to split the group up.

“Shit!” Zoro immediately ran away, his boots hitting the stony ground loudly in his every step. He didn’t turn around when Usopp called for his name; he wasn’t even bothered if people were looking at him now with curious glances as he ran through the street.

His hand settled on Wado’s hilt, coaxing familiar comfort, energy and strength from the sworn blade as he resolved to find the cook even if he had to cut this whole damn island into million pieces.

* * *

 

Sanji was panting for air.

He was in a large space behind an abandoned building where the black market scouts had cornered him. “Where the fuck is my son?!” the cook shouted at the men who just snickered at him like he was some kind of entertainment.

Sanji glared the bastards down and he continued to attack his opponents. After a few minutes of kicking, flailing in the air and making craters on the stony ground, Sanji wiped the sweat on his forehead through the back of his hand. Fuck. These bastards weren’t decreasing in number. He didn’t know how much more he had to fight before these bastards stop from emerging out of nowhere. He was at a huge disadvantage here but he wasn’t one to back down from a fight.

Sanji balled his fists to his sides as fire ignited from his right foot. “Sky Walk!” The blond kicked into the air, high up in the night sky as he braced himself for his next attack. “Poele Frire Spectre!”

Powerful kicks showered from the sky and hit the men with sheer accuracy. One by one they fell and anyone would think that the heavens were punishing them. Sanji’s kicks looked like falling meteorites, creating cracks and craters on the ground and letting humanity fall between the gaps.

The blond lowered himself on the ground, panting heavily for air as his earlier rejoice was replaced with annoyance once he saw a new set of scouts heading his way. Was there no fucking end to this?

Sanji tried to run toward his enemies, swearing to himself that he would finish this fight once and for all. But halfway through the battlefield, Sanji’s nose caught something vile in the air. A strange green gas was floating around him and it was too late to turn around and run away.

Sanji gasped for air but he was surprised that no oxygen would come in. The blond fell on his knees, hands circling around his throat as he felt his airway constrict. Sanji slumped on the ground, his eyes wide with shock and bathed with fresh tears. He coughed violently, his lungs desperately and pleadingly rejecting the poisonous gas from his chest.

Sanji’s hand clawed on the ground and he felt himself drifting away. His mouth was open for muted and choked gasps but his eyes were slowly shutting down. He could feel his whole body burn with fire as his lungs cried for oxygen.

The last thing that Sanji saw was a man. Holding this stupid large candy and watching with delighted eyes as Sanji writhed for air on the ground. The blond’s hand fell from his throat and his head thumped limply on the stones underneath.

A memory of Zoro and his son’s smiling faces flashed across his vision at the last moment, and Sanji wondered in the slightest string of his consciousness if he would ever see his family again.

-TBC


	27. As They Came

**Okay, this chapter may have been the most exciting one I've written so far (for me at least). There are many things that will happen here so sit back, relax and enjoy the action! :)**

* * *

  **Warning: Slightly mature content ahead.**

* * *

 

**Chapter 27: As They Came**

The moment he set foot on the island’s stony ground, the vivre card on his palm sprung into life, crawling pleadingly toward its owner. He looked around the place sullenly, keeping his senses keen and equipped from any sudden attack.

“Don’t leave the ship unguarded. I’ll go alone,” he said to his crew without turning his head around.

“Aye! Aye! Captain!” one of his subordinates exclaimed as he descended back into the ship.

He sighed, a nasty frown plastered on his face as he buckled his weapon comfortably upon his shoulder. He took a step forward, the heel of his shoe thudding on the heavy stones underneath, and proceeded to walk through the enemy’s territory without any hint of fear like how he did a thousand times before.

* * *

 

Zoro stared in awe at the obliterated area behind an abandoned building. The ground was tampered with huge cracks and craters which, upon one innocent look, would make someone think that this had been a fucking meteorite landing site.

The swordsman noticed the heaps of fallen bodies scattered on the area, and he was dead _sure_ that the cook was the one who did this. “Cook!” he shouted and ran around, his good eye frantic in finding that familiar halo of blond hair.

There was no way the cook would be captured by a bunch of weaklings. Not unless there was a shichibukai, an admiral, a yonkō, or… fuck. What if the bastards pulled some dirty tricks?

“Zoro!” Usopp shouted after him. “Stop running around!”

“I’m _not_ running around!” Zoro yelled back, a frown pulling down his features. “I’m going to that stupid place!”

“Zoro-san!”

The swordsman’s pace slowed down, his footsteps gradually halting because of that familiar high voice. With a sigh, Zoro turned his head around in frustration. “What?”

Sora breathed deeply for a few times, wiping the sweat off her forehead through the sleeve of her gray cloak. After catching her breath, the teenager looked Zoro in the eye. “I have something to say.”

The swordsman’s eyebrow raised a fraction. “Spit it out.”

“The note that the enemy left to us… it’s another trap. I mean, it was the supposed rendezvous place for Sanji-san and the scouts, but I’m pretty sure that it’s not the place where my grandfather, as well as Sanji-san, are held right now. The place on the note is probably an ambush plan for Sanji-san in case what they did to Kaitarou didn’t succeed,” Sora explained to the man.

“What do you mean?” Zoro asked with a frown.

Sora’s hand clutched the fabric of her cloak, her emerald eyes shining brightly under the moonlight, as a determined smile crept on her thin lips. “I think I know how to find them.”

* * *

 

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Then another one.

As tiny drops from the leaky water pipe resonated inside his ear, Sanji’s vision swam into the thin slit of dim light between his lids. He tried to focus his eyes, pointing out a few details of his surroundings and roughly estimating where the hell he was right now. The coarse surface of the cold stone floor buried at Sanji’s cheek and sides, and the steel bars in front of him cast vertical shadows along his slumped body.

He tried to talk, to lift himself up from the floor, but he couldn’t fucking move. He felt so weak and it was as if his body was dead to the world. Wait, was he dead? He remembered gasping for air, the painful burning sensation inside his chest as his lungs cried for oxygen. He also remembered choking on his words as his airway tightened.

Where the hell was he?

Sanji heard voices approaching his cell, their footsteps echoing louder and louder as they reached the blond’s hearing radius. Even if he wanted to spout insults, curse his captors or better yet, kick their ugly faces in, he couldn’t bring a single word out.

“You sure we don’t have to put more shackles on him?” a bearded man said with worry-tight eyebrows.

“No. He can’t even fucking move, idiot!” the man with a weird hat responded in an irritated manner.

“But–”

“Shut up!” The latter man gave a small case to his companion and Sanji heard him unlock his cell, the steel door rattling on its hinges as it flew wide open.

The two men walked toward Sanji, their large built towering over his limp body and their thick legs completely blocking Sanji’s field of vision. “Oi, blondie.” Hat Man nudged Sanji’s leg but he couldn’t feel anything. Pleased with the lack of response, the man looked at his companion and jerked his head. “Go on.”

The bearded man crouched in front of the blond, cautious in case the fallen pirate was feinting weakness, and pulled a loaded syringe out of the small case. The blond’s system fired up with adrenaline, but without a motor response, it appeared to be just too pathetic.

“Can’t feel a thing, huh, blondie?” Hat Man said complacently as he crossed his arms across his scarred chest. As his companion injected a strange fluid on the cook’s arm, he said, “Don’t worry, ‘lil whore. You’ll definitely be able to feel again in a few minutes.”

The two men smirked in satisfaction. After pulling the needle out, they both hauled Sanji up from the floor, holding both of his arms as they dragged the blond out of the cell and through a foreign hallway. His feet glided on the rough surface and his head was hanging low in front of him like a lifeless doll.

After a few minutes, the two men dragging Sanji away stopped on their tracks and placed the blond against a hard surface. They chained both of his arms above his head, his feet shackled with heavy iron as the tip of his toes brushed against the wooden floor below him.

At that moment, Sanji started to feel strange. Sweat began to pool beside his face, on his neck, back, arms, legs… fuck. Everywhere. He felt so freaking _hot_.

The two men noticed the blond’s changing state and they both smirked at Sanji’s discomfort and deep breaths. “Heh,” Hat Man uttered haughtily. “Already reacting, huh, blondie?”

After a few seconds, Sanji’s vision was blinded by white light. His eyes squinted at the intrusive brightness as the heavy curtains unfurled to reveal the star of the night. Sanji heard a few shocked gasps, loud cheers from the crowd and the host’s loud voice booming everywhere inside the large auction house.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen,” the host said in a jovial voice. “May I present you the missing Strawhat Pirate, Sanji Blackleg!”

The crowd’s became chaotic and their loud voices rang inside Sanji’s ears. His senses started coming back but his muscles felt so stiff. He felt so hot. He felt so _fucking_ hot.

“But being a part of the notorious crew isn’t the only appeal of this gorgeous man right here,” the host said with a smirk, enticing the audience more. The man put a finger under Sanji’s chin and lifted his head up, allowing the bidders to fully see his helpless expression as his mouth hang open for throaty breaths.

“This filthy pirate here,” the host started, “is also a nasty _whore._ ”

Several bidders strained their necks in their attempt to get a better view of Sanji’s sensual expression. Fuck. It was that thing that they injected him. He could feel his pants tighten and that embarrassing reaction was not left unnoticed by the audience as the host laughed at his humiliation.

“See, ladies and gentlemen? He’s already this needy.” The host turned his head toward the two men beside Sanji and smirked as he jerked his chin meaningfully toward the blond.

The next thing that Sanji heard was a tearing fabric and the audience’s shocked and delighted cheers. Air rushed around his body as his shirt was ripped from the midline, exposing his gloriously defined abs, flushing a beautiful shade of pink and glistening with sweat.

“Blackleg Sanji belongs to a very, very rare male species.”

 _‘Fuck. Please don’t go there,’_ Sanji pleaded desperately inside his mind. And he couldn’t hide the anger that welled up inside his chest for referring to him as some kind of rare _species_. This fucking asshole.

“This pirate here,” the host continued, “is capable of bearing children.”

The whole auction hall went dead silent as Sanji’s heart dropped from his chest. He wanted to scream out because of this utter _humiliation_. The bastard had just announced to the world about his strange condition. And if the Celestial Dragons wouldn’t hunt him down for it, then other world nobles would.

Pleased with the stunned reactions, the host hoisted his flag to signal the start of the bidding. “The starting bid is two hundred million bellies!”

“Three hundred!” a fat man quickly raised his hand as his eyes basically stripped Sanji up to the bone.

“Three hundred and fifty!”

“Five hundred!”

“Six hundred!”

The bids carried on but Sanji couldn’t hear them. His head was clouded by the overwhelming sensation on his lower abdomen. Even the slightest touch became too sensitive for him. He was practically on fire. He felt so pathetic.

So fucking filthy.

“Going once? Going twice?” the host said, scanning the crowd for another bidder to raise the bid but when no one raised his hand, he beamed brightly and raised his flag once again. “The bidding is now closed at one billion and three hundred million bellies!”

The audience clapped as the man who technically _bought_ Sanji stood up and waved at the crowd. He was wearing a luxurious suit, a spectacle and just from one look, anyone could say that he was indeed a world renowned noble. When the man stood upon the platform and in front of Sanji, placing his cane under the blond’s chin to further examine his face, the world noble bastard smiled as lascivious interest glinted in his eyes. “You got nice eyes. I want to have a son with blue eyes like yours.”

“B-Ba…” Sanji tried to speak in a strained voice. “Bas… tard.”

“Oh?” the man said in amusement. “Quite a mouth, I see.”

“We can give you a few shots of the drug we injected him for free,” the host told him.

“I’ll pay. Ship _all_ of your stocks to my mansion first thing in the morning. I need to tame my new pet,” the man said with a lecherous smirk. “Or sex slave, perhaps.”

The host grinned and bowed at the noble. “Of course, my lord. We’ll ship all of the drugs to you immediately.”

“Good,” the man said. “Close the curtains. I need some time alone with my slave.”

“As you wish. We’ll give you the Bomb Collar for your slave right away.” The host walked away and waved his hand as a signal. The curtains started to slide back, slowly extinguishing Sanji’s last ray of hope.

The man pinned Sanji’s head to the side with his cane. He gasped, disgust churning his stomach as he felt the man’s tongue lick his neck. His skin tingled at the contact, electrifying every fiber in his body as he shivered in traitorous pleasure. A moan escaped from his lips and Sanji wanted nothing but to die right there in shame.

The man’s other hand crawled on the exposed skin of his abdomen, stroking every indentation and ridge with lusty fingers. Sanji felt the back of his eyes burn and his lips formed slowly the only coherent word in his mind right now.

“Zo… ro.”

A blast of wind hit across the platform in lightning speed and the next thing that Sanji knew was the crumbling of the wall behind him, the splitting of the platform and the falling debris from the ceiling. Moonlight shone from the outrageous crack above him and he caught the fast flash of a figure in front of him. His bidder was coughing large amounts of blood and crumpling like a piece of paper on the wooden platform.

Sanji’s heart stopped for a second as his blue eye stared in shock at the mass of _green_ in front of him. He heard a low growl from the man as his grey eye gleamed with fierce, demonic energy. His arms and katanas were dark and coated with Armament Haki and Sanji wondered for a moment if the man really did _cut_ a fucking huge auction hall into _half_.

The scouts began to lunge toward Zoro. The swordsman bent down lower, accumulating power for his attack. “Santoryu.” Zoro slashed the air with profound strength. “One Hundred Eighty Pound Canon!”

His opponents blasted against the chairs and walls of the auction hall. There was a stampede of people near the entrance as they all ran for their lowly lives. Sanji gasped as pain shot through his body. Fuck. It was getting worse. “Z-Zoro,” he said hoarsely.

“I won’t let them touch you again, Cook,” Zoro uttered in a low and serious voice before he ran toward his remaining enemies.

Sanji almost cried in relief and gratefulness. He tried to wriggle his hands free from the chains but his arms felt like freaking liquid. His pants felt so tight and it was _suffocating_. It was getting fucking painful.

Sanji’s visible eye landed on the fallen man in front of him. His eye widened as his bidder pulled out a pistol from his coat and pointed it at Sanji. The man’s finger caressed the deadly strip of metal and as he pulled the trigger, a strange blue dome engulfed the whole auction hall.

The bullet sprung free from the barrel, the loud sound ringing in Zoro’s ears as he whipped his head automatically toward the cook, eye wide in horror and mouth slack in muted shock. Then–

_“Shambles.”_

Sanji’s vision was blocked by a tall, coated figure faster than a blink of an eye. The bullet never came and he saw how the man in front of him slashed the bidder into goddamn _half_. The strange blue dome dissipated and the man straightened on his feet.

Sanji saw his recognizable dark, rugged side-burns, beard, piercings, and the all-too-familiar tattoos running at the back of his hands and along his long, bony fingers.

“LAW?!” the swordsman shouted in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Relax, Zoro-ya,” the former shichibukai said in his low baritone. “I’ll help you first with this mess.”

Law maintained his distance near Sanji as Zoro continued to fight freely across the entire auction hall. After three minutes of chaos, Sanji felt another jolt of pain rattle his body. He groaned loudly and tried to tense his thighs to somehow ease his hurt but it was no fucking use.

Law seemed to notice his pain and he examined Sanji for a moment before lifting his hand and saying, “Room.”

The blue dome returned and engulfed the whole auction hall once again. “Shambles,” Law said as he raised his index and middle fingers.

The next view that greeted Sanji was the line of thick trees. They were in the middle of a forest and possibly at the top of a hill or mountain. “Wha–?” Zoro muttered in shock and as he realized what happened, he immediately turned around and faced Law with a terrifying scowl on his face. “Why the hell did you get us out of there? I still have to kill those bastards–”

“I have to do it,” Law explained. “Blackleg-ya is in pain.”

“What?” Zoro’s eye found Sanji’s pain-stricken face and his chest instantly tightened at the blond’s tortured condition. Zoro cut Sanji’s chains and the blond helplessly fell over the swordsman’s shoulder. “Oi, Cook!”

Zoro shook Sanji’s arms but the blond kept his eyes closed, his eyebrows pulled together tightly as his mouth gasps for heavy breaths. “What the hell’s happening?” the swordsman asked in slight fear and panic.

“He’s been drugged,” Law explained. “We need to get him back to the ship.”

“Wait. Usopp and the others are still…” Zoro tried to finish his thoughts but he was interrupted by Sanji’s fingers clawing desperately on his coat.

“Don’t worry, Zoro-ya. I ran to them earlier and I gave them the location of my ship. They must be there by now,” Law said.

The swordsman was relieved but he couldn’t be completely satisfied with all the sudden turn of events if the cook was still trembling painfully inside his arms. He tightened his hold around the blond and looked Law directly in the eye. “Let’s go.”

The man summoned the blue dome once again, bigger than the ones Zoro had ever seen before, and they transcended into time and space faster than the speed of light. Zoro’s boots landed on the deck of Law’s submarine ship. Usopp immediately helped him carry Sanji, following the former shichibukai inside the ship and through metal hallways.

“Lay him here.” Law motioned in one of the patient beds in his infirmary.

“Is he okay?” Usopp asked worriedly as he stared at Sanji lying on his side, his chest rising and falling heavily in every labored breath.

“Why is he in pain? Did those bastards give him poison?” Zoro balled his hands into tight fists and anger began to crawl inside him.

“No,” Law replied which somehow managed to lift off a part of the burden from Zoro’s shoulder. “But he needs help.”

“What help? Tell me,” Zoro said, desperation and utter compliance palpable on his face.

Law turned his head to Usopp first, politely asking him to give him and Zoro a moment of privacy. When the sharpshooter reluctantly closed the door behind him, the man looked back at Zoro with those usual expressionless eyes.

“Blackleg-ya needs _relief_.”

“What?” Zoro scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

“I received a call from Mugiwara-ya and he told me about you two. As well as about your son,” Law explained. “He asked me to fetch you and your companions as I happened to be in a nearby island. My apologies if I unintentionally invaded a confidential matter such as that.”

Zoro had unshakable faith in Luffy. If his captain decided to keep Sanji’s secret from him to honor his nakama’s request, if he decided to tell Law about their son and to let him follow them to this island, then he was fine with it. He completely understood.

Because he trusted Luffy with his life.

“It’s fine,” Zoro replied honestly. “What do I have to do?”

“As I’ve said,” Law reiterated, “Blackleg-ya needs relief. He was given a sexual drug, an aphrodisiac, and the only way of getting it off his system is through ejaculation.”

Zoro’s jaw fell at the doctor’s words. After a few seconds of stunning silence, the swordsman spoke. “Don’t you have an antidote for that?”

“If I have, then I’ve already used it up,” Law said and looked at Sanji’s trembling shoulders. “A sexual drug is not poison, so the body won’t produce antibody against it. Its only effects are to heighten the person’s physical senses, increase blood flow and to maintain erectile function. So the only way to counteract its effects is to clear it off from his system. And based on Blackleg-ya’s signs and symptoms, those bastards have given a synergistic drug to cause muscle weakness to his extremities.”

“You mean… I…?” Zoro blinked at the ludicrous proposition of the doctor. It wasn’t that he _didn’t_ want to do it. Hell, he had _wanted_ to do it ever since he realized he loved the stupid cook. But there was just something… _wrong_ with the time, place, and everything. It wouldn’t appear and feel like how it _should_ be. It would be in an entirely different context.

“Do you want me to stand on your stead?”

“Fucking no!” Zoro scowled at the man and walked past him toward the edge of Sanji’s bed.

An amused glint flashed across the doctor’s usually impassive eyes and he turned around to leave and give the couple a moment of privacy. When Zoro heard the metal door close, he lowered himself on the bed cushion and ran a hand along Sanji’s arm.

“Oi, Cook,” he said softly.

Sanji gasped in response and a silent tear fell from the corner of his eye. “Z-Zo…ro.”

“Shh. I’m here. I’m here,” the swordsman whispered to Sanji’s ear as he laid himself behind Sanji and continued to give comforting strokes on the blond’s trembling arm.

“It… it fucking… h-hurts,” Sanji bit his lower lip and he was sure that he would taste blood in a few moments.

“Cook.” Zoro placed a gentle kiss behind Sanji’s earlobe. “Let me help you.”

Zoro knew from the way Sanji’s muscles tensed and relaxed that the cook was probably attempting to move but he couldn’t bring himself to it. Sanji’s limbs felt flaccid and stiff at the same time and the excruciating pain on his lower abdomen was twisting his body into a writhing ball of agony.

“Zo…ro,” Sanji gasped the swordsman’s name. “ _Please_ …”

Zoro’s face warmed up and he reached out for the cook’s pants before he could debate himself to it. The cook needed his help. He had to take the cook out from this grave pain. He didn’t want to do this under this kind of circumstance but he had no choice. _They_ had no choice.

Zoro flicked the fly open and lowered down the zipper. His fingers stopped at the waistband of Sanji’s underwear and he leaned down to whisper to the blond’s ear, “Do you trust me?”

Sanji inhaled sharply, feeling the rush of shameful excitement through system elicited by the drug. “Yes,” he answered breathily. “I love you.”

The innocent words hit Zoro like a tsunami. His chest brimmed with affection toward the blond and he planted a kiss on Sanji’s cheek as he let his hand roam deeper. The blond gasped when Zoro held him and his skin sang at the much awaited contact.

Sanji almost cried when Zoro started pumping him. He could feel the insufferable pain slowly ebbing away as pleasure trickled through his veins. The blond’s mouth hung open in a breathy moan, his fingers gradually summoning their strength as he clawed on the bed covers beside him.

“ _Zoro_ ,” he called the man’s name in a choked gasp.

“Cook.” The swordsman continued to plant small kisses on the blond’s temple and cheek as he applied the right amount of pressure at the perfect time and at the perfect places which made Sanji lose his mind. The swordsman was being gentle, peppering him with comforting kisses to ease Sanji’s inner turmoil.

“Ah… Ah… I can’t–Zoro!” A few more pumps and the cook spilled over the covers, his whole body shuddering from the intense release and from the clearance of the hateful drug from his system. His consciousness flickered and Sanji breathed deeply to calm his rapidly beating heart. He could feel strength slowly coming back to his limbs and relief, more than pleasure, washed over his entire body.

Sanji faintly felt his pants zip up in his dazed state. The swordsman hugged him from behind, burying his face on the crook of Sanji’s warm and damp neck. “Sorry,” he muttered on the blond’s skin.

“Don’t…” Sanji said quietly and he wanted nothing but to turn around and place a reassuring kiss on the swordsman’s lips but his current state proved him otherwise.

Zoro’s arms went a bit tighter around him, his face burying deeper on Sanji’s neck, and he could feel a pang of guilt and worry from the man behind him. “I didn’t want to.”

“I said it’s fine, Idiot Marimo,” Sanji replied, hoping to lighten the mood up. “Did you find Kaitarou?”

“Yes,” the man whispered.

“Is he fine?”

“Yes.”

The blond sighed in relief and it was the last straw that was keeping Sanji away from unconsciousness. His eyelids felt heavy like lead and mercury and he let his eyes close on their own. Just before he succumbed to the awaiting darkness, he felt a soft pair of lips pressing against his neck, calm breaths tickling the hairs on his skin and a gentle thumb caressing the inside of his forearm, enticing Sanji to lay himself bare inside those strong, protective arms as he plunged himself into a deep, deep lullaby.

* * *

 

Light seeped through his heavy, half-lidded eyes. Sanji blinked the bleariness away, swallowing the dryness on his throat, and he pushed himself up to have a look around. His eyes landed on the needle inserted at the back of his hand. Right. He was in Law’s ship. He remembered being carried to this room, lying down on this bed and… being taken care of by Zoro.

His cheeks flushed at the memory of the man’s calloused palm around him, stroking him in every perfect way that Sanji could imagine. He pushed the thought back in his mind, pondering that it was not the right time to have an unwanted arousal.

He yanked the needle off his hand and a few drops of blood stained the white covers under him. Sanji planted his feet on the cold metal floor, sighing in relief that his strength and senses had finally come back to him.

His blue eye caught the familiar hue of green hair across the room. Zoro was leaning against the wall, sitting cross-legged on the floor with his head bowed down as his three katanas rested comfortably against his right shoulder. The blond pushed himself up, slightly tipping off his balance as he regained his motor function, and walked barefoot toward the sleeping man.

Sanji knelt down in front of him. His curly eyebrows pulled together as he took in the dark bags under Zoro’s eyes, his slightly chapped lips, a few shallow cuts on his arms and the faint discoloration tainting the corner of his mouth.

The blond reached out, ghosting his thumb over the man’s bruise beside his lips. _‘He must be tired,’_ Sanji thought. Zoro should have had woken up by now. His nakama had a very keen sense for intruders invading his private circle, like a sixth sense that woke him up to avoid any surprise attack. He was a heavy sleeper. He could literally sleep through raging storms, under falling snow and scorching heat of the sun.

But seeing how dead he was now to the world, the swordsman must have been through a lot since the moment they got separated in the island. Sanji leaned forward, angling his head low to the side to press a soft kiss on the swordsman’s slightly parted lips. Everytime he kissed Zoro tenderly like this, he felt a strange flutter in his stomach and a course of warm sensation inside his chest. It felt good. But most of all, it felt… _right_.

When Sanji pulled back, the swordsman’s eyelid opened slowly, blinking the blurriness away a few times before his voice moved his lips. “Cook?” he said quietly as he lifted his head up to stare at the blond.

“Yeah, Marimo, it’s me.” Sanji brushed his thumb over Zoro’s cheekbone.

“You fine?”

“Yeah. Thank you,” Sanji replied truthfully. He did owe Zoro his life. Again. If things weren’t the way they were now, if they were just plain nakama like how they were before, then Sanji’s man pride would probably not be too happy of being saved by his rival.

The swordsman hummed lowly in satisfaction and he held Sanji’s hand, pulling it away from his face and lazily intertwining their fingers together. “Glad you didn’t cry like a damsel,” Zoro said with a teasing smile on his lips.

Sanji rolled his eyes at the man. “Oh, fuck off.”

Zoro chuckled and leaned forward to meet Sanji’s lips in a brief kiss. “’m also glad that I made it in time.”

After finding himself from the fleeting moment they’d shared, the blond looked Zoro in the eye and said, “How did you find me?”

“Sora,” the man explained. “We managed to haul a couple of conscious bastards from the area where you kicked their asses. Behind that abandoned building. She used her ability to extract information from them. That’s how I ended up in the auction hall.”

The cook’s eyebrow rose. “You’re alone?”

“Yeah. Why?” the man questioned.

“You got lost, didn’t you?”

A heavy blush spread across Zoro’s face and he grumpily pulled his hand away from Sanji, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly as he shot a deathly glare at the stupid blond. “I _didn’t_ get lost. The trees moved.”

Sanji laughed at the absurdity of the whole event. So, Zoro could’ve had arrived sooner, huh? Well, it didn’t really matter. He couldn’t get tired of pissing the other man off by pointing out his awful sense of direction in every chance he got. “Figures,” Sanji said with a laugh.

“Wait. Where’s Ranport-san?” the blond asked as reality set back in.

“He’s not in the island,” Zoro responded with a frown. “But Sora’s able to know his location.”

“So we’re going to wherever the hell he is now, right?” Sanji asked hopefully.

“Yeah,” Zoro said as he planted his feet on the floor and hoisted himself up, pulling Sanji with him in the process. “Law’s ship surfaced two hours ago. We managed to get away from the island less than half the original travel time.” Zoro tapped the metal wall with Kitetsu’s hilt as a pleased grin plastered on his face. “This contraption’s pretty convenient. Quite fast, too.”

A crease appeared between the cook’s curly eyebrows. “Wait,” he said. “How long have I been out?”

Zoro shrugged. “Two days?”

“What?!” Sanji’s eyes bulged out of their sockets in shock. He had been out for two _fucking_ days?

“Stop bitching, Cook. You needed the rest.”

“But–But still!” Sanji sighed and scratched the back of his head, discomfited with himself. Oh, man, he really did fuck up.

Before Sanji could ask further questions, the two pirates heard a _loud_ splash, like a sky island had fallen from the heavens and rocked the gentle waves around the ship. Sanji cursed as he tried to keep his footing on the metal floor. “What the _fuck_ is that?” he shouted furiously.

“Heh.” Zoro grinned as he looked at Sanji. “Right on time.”

Sanji’s forehead creased in confusion and before he could interrogate the bastard, Zoro clutched at his wrist and ran out of the room. The blond cursed at the senselessly laughing marimo and he dreaded to kick the bastard’s ass everytime he missed the very much _obvious_ stairs leading up to the deck. However, the green-haired man didn’t bite to his insults. Zoro was just running up the stairs, dragging Sanji with him with that wide grin on his face.

And before Sanji knew it, the door to the deck opened and sunlight blinded his entire vision. The blond reflexively put a protective arm over his eyes, trying desperately to adjust at the sudden radiance and that was when he heard a familiar laugh booming louder than any noise around him.

“I distinctly remember reminding you not to do that!” Law shouted. “You could’ve _landed_ on my ship!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” the other party laughed loudly as no trace of regret seemed to hint on his voice.

Sanji’s blue eyes widened in sheer _disbelief_. His heart slammed hard against his chest and his blood rushed quickly through his veins. He was rooted on the spot, unblinking and currently incapable of doing any kind of motion. And when the familiar face’s dark eyes held contact with the blond’s, his mouth opened in a broad smile and he immediately climbed over his ship’s railing.

“SANJI!”

The blond snapped out of his shock but was a split second too late before he was rolling on the deck with tight arms coiling around him. Sanji cursed at the impact, but the boy above him just gave him a very happy smile, erasing any form of annoyance within him and melting his heart in every way possible.

“Long time no see!” Luffy exclaimed as he grinned broadly at his long-lost nakama.

-TBC

* * *

NSFW art to spice you guys up! Made by the ever talented [Penumbrazxs](http://penumbrazxs.tumblr.com) on Tumblr!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been dreading to write this chapter for a long time. Any reactions? :)  
> I also made a **new cover art** for the story! You can scroll back to **[Chapter 1](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11574693/chapters/26008119)** or check it on my **[Tumblr](https://lady-elocin.tumblr.com/image/167406633155) :)**  
>  I'm definitely making an art for this chapter soon (because Law's in here *screams my fangirl heart out*).


	28. Past, Present And Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for all the hits, kudos and wonderful reviews for this fic! Your support encourages me to write all the time. :)

**Chapter 28: Past, Present And Future**

The moment Sanji boarded the Thousand Sunny, four pairs of arms flung around him and squeezed him into a very, very tight hug.

“Sanji!” Chopper cried as he hugged Sanji’s leg.

“Sanji-kun!” His Nami-swan was embracing him, wrapping her delicate arms around his neck, and he thought for a moment if he was in heaven.

“Sanji-san!” As tall as he was, Brook was clinging on Sanji’s hips and his non-existent eyes were springing out fucking tears. No matter how long he’d known the ninety-year-old man, the skeleton’s strange physiological buildup after he’d eaten the Yomi Yomi No Mi never failed to amuse him.

“Cook-bro!” Franky’s thick metal arms went around them and hefted them up in the air as he cried out a fountain of tears that could fill up Sunny’s large tub.

“Argh! Put us down, Franky!” Nami shouted at the cyborg.

Sanji could feel Nami’s round boobs pressing against his chest and his eyes turned into hearts before he could stop them. “I’ve missed you very much, Nami-swan!”

Nami rolled her eyes and put her hand on Sanji’s face, pushing him away from her. “Get the hell away from me, idiot!”

Robin laughed behind her soft hand as the rowdy reunion occurred in front of her. Ah, his sweet and beautiful Robin-chan!

Luffy was still laughing loudly behind them, partly because of his crew’s foolishness and partly due to a pissed off Trafalgar Law beside him who was spouting complaints about Sunny’s coup de burst and Luffy’s recklessness.

After Franky settled them down on the floor, Sanji crouched down and lifted Chopper in his arms. The little doctor’s big round eyes were full of tears and his blue nose was dripping with snot. Chopper sniffed and put his little arms around Sanji’s neck. “I miss you, Sanji,” he said crying.

Sanji chuckled and patted Chopper’s back. “I miss you too, buddy.”

Nami’s brown eyes softened at the affectionate display. Chopper had always been the baby of the crew and he was close to every one of them. However, there was just something endearing about seeing their cook hug the little doctor. Sanji had always been good with kids – she didn’t know why. That soft, warm feeling intensified further when they knew that Sanji was carrying his and Zoro’s child.

As the realization clicked into place, Nami’s eyes widened and she immediately asked the blond, “Where’s he, Sanji-kun?”

Sanji looked at her for a moment, digesting her question. And when it made sense, his mouth uttered a soft “oh” and a blush spread on both of his cheeks.

He remembered writing to Nami about his son. A few days after Kaitarou’s birth, he sent a letter asking how the crew was. Then at the end of his message, there were these three words that only his crew, excluding Zoro, would understand: _It’s a boy._

He lowered Chopper on his feet and ran a hand through his hair nervously. “Well, he’s…”

“He’s here.”

The swordsman’s low baritone grabbed their attention. He was standing behind them with his arms crossed over his chest. The crew saw a little figure hiding behind their nakama. There was a heavy silence and the crew held their breaths as a flash of green hair, curly eyebrow and blue eye peeked behind Zoro.

The swordsman looked behind him and coaxed his son with a soft voice that his crew had never heard before. “Come out, son.”

Every second seemed to be too long for the crew as the kid slowly stepped out behind his father. Wide eyes, open mouths and amused smiles greeted him as he stood quietly beside the swordsman with his hand clutched at his father’s black coat.

“Oh my God.” Nami was the first to react and she put a hand over her mouth to hide her shock and astonishment.

“Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my…” Brook had his bony fingertips between his teeth and he couldn’t hide his excitement and amusement toward the kid.

“Ow! Little bro here looks like Sanji with Zoro’s hair!” The cyborg laughed.

“Oh. How cute,” Robin said as she smiled at the kid.

“Hey, Sanji.” Chopper tugged at the cook’s pant leg. “He’s your son?”

The blond swallowed thickly and he deeply hoped that his embarrassment and anxiousness came down with it. “Uh, yeah. He is.”

Nami took a few steps toward the kid, who backed away slightly in response to an approaching stranger. She leaned down and braced her hands on her knees as she gave the kid a friendly smile. “Hi. I’m Aunt Nami. What’s your name?”

Kaitarou bit his finger and his eyes looked up at Zoro like he was asking for some sort of permission. The swordsman sensed this and he smiled and nodded to his son. “Tell her,” he said.

The little kid put his finger down and gazed at Nami with his crystal blue eyes. “Kaitarou.”

Nami’s smile widened and a pleasant feeling erupted inside her chest. “Ah, shit.” She stood up properly, flipping her orange hair behind her, and put her hands on her thin waist. “This kid is too cute to be your and Sanji-kun’s son. Are you sure he’s not adopted?” she said with a grin.

Zoro rolled his eye at the navigator’s ridiculous question. “Just shut your trap, witch.”

“Oi, Marimo! Don’t talk to Nami-san like that!” Sanji interjected.

“Well, Kaitarou-kun,” Robin bent down and offered her hand to the kid, “do you want to drink hot chocolate?”

The kid’s eyes sparkled at that and a look of pure excitement was obviously conveyed in his eyes. “Go on,” Zoro said to wash away any doubt from him. He wanted Kaitarou to warm up to the crew. He wanted him to feel that this crew was his family – _their_ family. And that they would always be there to protect him and that he would feel safe in their company.

The kid smiled and released Zoro’s coat to reach for Robin’s hand. The gentle and small hand inside her palm made the archeologist’s heart jump. Kaitarou was so precious. No one would contradict her if she told the crew that she was ready to die for this little kid even though she had only met him now. As the crew watched the kid smile and took the lady’s hand, as Nami’s coffee brown eyes stared with renewed flame and determination, as Brook’s eyeless sockets stilled, as Franky’s grin held a promise of confidence and strength, and as Chopper’s round eyes fixated at Kaitarou with curiosity and slight concern for his health, Robin knew that they all decided on the same thing.

 They would do anything to keep him safe, to shield him away from danger and to pamper him with love and care. This little kid was their _nakama_ and the whole world knew how far the Strawhats would go for their nakama.

Kaitarou was miracle itself. His mere existence defied rationality but it was through him that Zoro and Sanji were able to strengthen their bond. It was through him that the two men were given another purpose in life, another will to live, and another reason to push beyond the boundaries and break the walls of a forbidden passion.

The Strawhats greeted Vallo and Sora and thanked them for taking care of Sanji for the last four years. Luffy told them that the crew would definitely bring Dr. Ranport back and that assurance caused tremendous relief to Vallo judging by how his stiff shoulders slackened in response.

Sanji stared as Robin held Kaitarou’s hand and ushered him toward the galley. The others followed after Nami gave brief instructions to Franky about their destination. His heart was beating fast inside his chest and the nervousness that was coiling inside his gut earlier had vanished into nothingness.

Seeing his crew warmly welcome his son did various things to Sanji. It was so overwhelming and wonderful that he wanted to hug every one of them and cry.

Itching for a cigarette, his hand fished out a stick from the pack inside his pants’ pocket. He let the cigarette dangle between his lips and resolved to light it after he had finished preparing something for the crew. His smoking habit toned down a little when Kaitarou was born. He didn’t want his son to directly inhale his toxic fumes. But it was a habit that would be too hard to break. Hell, he might even die with a cigarette still burning between his lips.

That was the reason why biting the filter of an unlit cigarette also became a habit whenever smoking wasn’t an option. Somehow, it gave Sanji a sense of comfort, and it helped ease the painful feeling of withdrawal to some degree.

The blond shifted his gaze to the swordsman standing a few feet away from him. “Oi. I’m going back to the galley. You staying here?”

“Yeah,” the man replied. “Luffy’s with Law right now so I’m waiting for him here. He said he wants to talk.”

The blond’s eyebrow shot upwards at that. “Luffy. You mean our rubber, idiotic captain _Luffy?”_

Zoro snorted. “Of course, idiot. Who else will it be?”

Sanji pulled the unlit cigarette from his lips and placed his hands on his waist. “So Luffy wants to _talk_ , and not eat meat or cause trouble. Is he dying from a disease or are you going to get your ass kicked from the crew, Marimo?”

The swordsman grunted in annoyance. “Stop thinking about stupid shit, Curlybrow.”

Sanji waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, well, if you two need something to eat. Just go to the galley. I’ll have something ready.”

When Zoro hummed in approval, Sanji walked toward the galley to join the rest of the crew. He couldn’t help but think about Zoro and Luffy’s talk. It was very rare – no, a million times of indisputable rarity – for Luffy to _talk_ with someone. The captain wasn’t just a man of words except for stupid shouts of “I’ll kick your ass!” or “I’ll become the Pirate King!”

So whatever Luffy was going to talk about with Zoro was something that was worthy of Sanji’s concern. However, he pushed the thoughts aside for now, because right there at the galley, his long-lost abode, were his nakama who were all waiting eagerly for another dip on his heavenly cuisine.

* * *

 

Sanji watched as Nami cut the tangerine pie into equal slices. After entering the galley earlier this afternoon, the rush of longing inside him became too much that he practically threw his arms and bowed himself on the marvelous countertop. Fuck. He goddamn missed his marbled kitchen counters!

The others laughed at him but after sending them a warning glare, they all snickered and directed their attention back to his son. Kaitarou was sitting between Robin and Usopp. Chopper was seated on his lap and they were both sharing a big, fluffy cotton candy which Sanji made for them.

Usopp was telling them about their adventure, sometimes adding up ridiculous things which were so fictitious but had never failed to make the crew smile. He wondered for a moment if Usopp had accidentally told the crew about his relationship with Zoro. Not that he was hiding it or anything, but he wanted to consult the swordsman about it first before they broke the news to the crew.

Without willing to do so, his mind slipped to the small private moment he had shared with Zoro back in Law’s ship. It was the first time they’d touched like that in four years and the big difference was that they were both _sober_ that time. He could still feel the calluses and rough surface of Zoro’s palm on him. The man’s kisses were still fresh as the morning dew on his face and that caused Sanji’s cheeks to blush a bashful pink color.

He felt a twitch between his thighs and he growled internally at how fucking pathetic and stupid he was being right now. Sanji heard a pleasant chuckle beside him. His eyes shifted to the lovely face of an angel holding a tangerine between her hands.

“Are you thinking about Zoro, Sanji-kun?” Nami asked with a smile.

The blond blushed harder at that but he gathered all his wits to deny what was already so fucking obvious. “Of course not, Nami-san! I’m… I’m thinking about something else,” he lied and he felt bad about lying to his beautiful angel.

Nami hummed in amusement, seeming not believe his statement, but instead of voicing out her skepticism, she put down the tangerine on the cutting board and cut the fruit into thin slices. “You kind of changed, you know.”

Sanji paused in whipping the cream for the cake he was making. “Well, everyone changed, Nami-san.”

Nodding, Nami said, “While that’s true, it’s still very noticeable how big your change is.” She put the slices of the fruit on top of the pie. “I mean, the heart eyes are still there, but then here’s fact that I’m standing five inches away from you and yet you still manage to talk normally to me or continue what you’re doing without your noodle dance or having a stupid nosebleed.”

Sanji’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “What do you mean, my mellorine?”

Chuckling, the navigator put a finger on Sanji’s chest. “What I’m saying is, you’ve become more mature, Sanji-kun. There’s this certain aura around you now that wasn’t with you four years ago. And it’s kind of the same aura that Bellemere always had around her.”

The blond’s lips parted at the implication of her words. His eyes unconsciously shifted to his son, who was now listening to Usopp’s story attentively as he sipped on his mug of hot chocolate.

“Being a parent really makes you a better person, huh? Because you already have someone who looks up and depends on you.” Nami smiled at him before grabbing the pie and taking it to the dinner table. It was still an appetizer for the crew’s big appetite. The main dish would be lots and lots of meat, of course, for their gluttonous captain.

Nami’s words still rang inside Sanji’s ears. His blush spread down his neck and he couldn’t help the warm, fuzzy feeling inside his chest. Did he really look like a father now?

It was still a bit surreal – having a son. He’d always dreamt of having a kid of his own, but actually being blessed with one was too good to be true for Sanji. He didn’t fucking care if his son was born in the weirdest way possible, well, from him, because all he knew was that he loved his son unconditionally and he was more than happy to have him.

* * *

 

The Marimo sat quietly in the galley during dinner. Sanji wouldn’t let it show, but he was kind of conscious of the man’s penetrating gazes on his back. Zoro was watching him like a hawk and he couldn’t hide the blush tinting the tips of his ears.

The swordsman finished earlier than expected and he excused himself afterwards, telling them that he was on watch tonight. Sanji moved from his spot in front of the counter, putting his plate down in the process, and walked around the dinner table to clean up Zoro’s plate.

Kaitarou sat on Nami’s lap as the orange-haired beauty fed him with a chicken leg. After taking a bite, the kid pointed at the tall pile of food on Luffy’s plate and the navigator laughed and shook her head at the kid’s curiosity. “No, you can’t, honey. Don’t eat like Uncle Luffy, okay?” she said, smiling.

“Here, have a bite.” Robin offered a piece of tangerine pie to Kaitarou and the kid took a bite. As he chewed, the kid smiled and told them how yummy the pie was which made the two women smile. Nami fixed the table napkin around Kaitarou’s neck as Robin wiped the side of his mouth with tissue.

There was nothing more endearing right now than the sight of Sanji’s lovely angels doting on his son. The little kid would be _so_ spoiled. He could feel it.

“Sanji-kun?”

“Yes, my lovely angel?” he said as he turned his head around toward Nami.

“Can Kai-chan take a bath with me and Robin tonight?” Nami asked and she batted her long eyelashes at him.

Ah. That was it. Sanji was too weak against that. “Of course, Nami-swan!” Sanji exclaimed happily.

Sanji went to Vallo and Sora’s side and they were still kind of shocked on how _chaotic_ the Strawhats were during mealtime. He managed to kick Luffy’s head three times, each time shouting to leave Vallo and Sora’s plates alone.

Usopp was beside them, guarding their plates, and Sanji was so grateful to him for that. He had given a fair share of food to Law’s crew. Their ship was trailing behind the Sunny and it would be five days worth of travel time before they arrived on their destination – the island where Ranport-san was.

Sora informed Nami and Robin about the island. The archeologist managed to remember that island’s name in one of her books and with Robin’s help, Nami immediately charted its coordinates and changed the course of their ship.

After an hour, the crew thanked Sanji for his sumptuous meal and told him how much they’ve missed his glorious cooking. Usopp offered his help to wash the dishes and Sanji took it gratefully. The ladies went out of the galley with Kaitarou, probably going to the bathroom for their evening bath. Sora and Vallo also excused themselves and went to the guest room to unpack their belongings.

Franky and Brook stayed inside, laughing as they both told stories to Sanji which effectively kept him entertained as he and Usopp washed the dishes. There was so much that he had missed on this ship and it would take a considerable amount of time before he could catch up. But he was willing to learn them one by one, step by step, because right now, his nakama were all here and he couldn’t be happier.

“Say, Cook-bro,” Franky began, “are you and Zoro-bro a couple now?”

The plate inside Sanji’s hands almost slipped. A warm sensation filled up his chest and the roots spiraled upwards toward his cheeks. “Well, uh, that’s…”

Usopp sensed the blond’s discomfort and he immediately snatched the moment to give him an excuse, “Well, they’re considerably friendlier with each other than four years ago. And that means less ship repairs for you, Franky.”

Sanji mouthed a silent “thank you” to him and the sharpshooter just replied with a wink.

“Ow! That will be suuuper helpful, Cook-bro!” the cyborg said in his signature pose.

“Yohohoho! I miss your Earl Grey, Sanji-san. Do you mind making one for me tomorrow morning?” Brook requested.

“It’s fine,” Sanji replied with a smile. “I’ll make the best Earl Grey for you.”

After all the dishes had been washed and dried properly, his nakama waved good bye and went outside to do their own things. Alone once again in the silence of his galley, Sanji sighed and leaned against the sink, exhausted in a night full of work but it was the kind of fatigue that he had terribly missed in the past four years.

He was also glad to see his kitchen in a very good condition. His tools and kitchenwares were all kept in their respective places, just like how he remembered leaving them four years ago. His nakama were responsible for the good state of his galley. There was no doubt about that. Even though Sanji was miles away from them, they kept his presence alive in the ship by taking care of his kitchen.

And that very thought touched Sanji’s heart deeply in more ways than he could actually count.

Massaging his neck, Sanji went outside the galley to inhale the fresh night breeze of the ocean. Franky stood behind the steering wheel as Usopp showed him his latest invention. Brook was standing on the deck and playing a heartfelt concerto of “Bink’s Sake,” each note from his violin filling the ship with a familiar calmness that Sanji had missed and longed for all these years.

The blond’s eyes shifted upwards, toward the small contained area above the mast. There was no light emitting from the inside but he knew that that was how the man liked it. Without having second thoughts, Sanji went toward the mast and climbed through the steel bars leading up to the crow’s nest.

He needed to consult Zoro about something – if he would be fine to tell the crew about their relationship. He already told him that he didn’t fucking care if the crew knew about them, but still, Sanji felt kind of obligated to ask for his opinion about that matter.

He opened the hatch and lifted himself up. Zoro’s eye rolled toward his direction but the man didn’t speak a single word. He was sitting on the curved sofa near the window, his right leg bent and rested on the cushion as his left dangled on the floor.

After closing the hatch, Sanji pulled a cigarette from his pocket and the brief flicker of his lighter cast an eerie orange glow on his face. The room wasn’t too dark because the moon was shining brightly outside.

He looked at Zoro who was staring at him with a deep expression on his grey eye. Sanji’s heart jumped as he took in the man’s magnificent features under the moonlight. He remembered that fateful night that turned his world upside down. It was at this same place, at the same time of the day, that the _thing_ happened.

But he couldn’t bring himself to regret a single thing. His life probably became fucked up because of that, but that mistake brought Kaitarou into this world. He didn’t even know if he would consider that a mistake anymore because he and Zoro had both wanted to raise their child together.

The swordsman put his arm on the windowsill and tilted his head against his palm. “What are you doing here, Shitty Cook?” he asked.

Sanji plopped down beside him and took a long drag from his cigarette. “Uh, hanging around?”

The swordsman snorted at the stupid response. “Where’s Kaitarou?”

“With Nami-san and Robin-chan. He’s taking a bath with them.”

“Oh?” Amusement lit Zoro’s eye. “And you’re not throwing a fit or jealous about that?”

“Fuck off, Marimo,” he said with no real venom on his tone. “The beautiful ladies love him and I don’t want to ruin their trust by peeping on them while they take a bath.”

“Heh.” A nasty grin stretched Zoro’s lips. “Since when have you thought about not grabbing the opportunity to see their boobs?”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “I’m a gentleman, dickhead. I don’t do shit things like that.”

“Don’t try to make me laugh, Curlybrow. We both know that you tried peeping on Nami once and then you came back with a giant bump on your head.” Zoro chuckled on that hilarious memory. The cook was the epitome of stupidity when it came to women and if he didn’t know him enough, he would think of Sanji as some perverted dog who would sniff anyone with giant boobs and round asses.

Not that he was like that right now. When he met Sanji after four years, he noticed the change of air around the blond. He was still acting like a goddamn gentleman around women, always spouting flowery words and praises for their beauty, but there was considerably less stupid actions like noodle limbs and having nosebleeds.

Maybe, having a son made him more mature than what he had realized. The cook carried himself with the same grace as before but there was this air of reserved silence and mellow expression every now and then. As he watched the cook move and talk to their son, the image of Koshiro sometimes flashed inside his mind.

It was a picturesque of a father interacting with his son, and Zoro couldn’t deny the strange warmth blooming inside his chest everytime.

“Hey.”

Zoro blinked, snapping out of his reverie. “What?”

“What are you thinking?” Sanji asked, his eyes glimmering a deeper shade of blue under the moonlight.

“Nothing,” Zoro replied.

The blond sighed and put out the light of his cigarette against his pocket ashtray. His gaze shifted to Zoro once again then he said, “Are we playing this ‘I ask then you say nothing’ game again? Because it pisses me off everytime you don’t say a fucking thing about what’s bothering you and I have to guess or think hard about it.”

Sanji ran a hand through his hair, the golden strands falling smoothly like silky threads. “Just tell me what Luffy said and why you were looking at me like a creepy stalker earlier in the galley.”

Zoro averted his eye from him and Sanji knew from there that something was really eating the man from the inside. “Luffy just told me that they sailed a week after Usopp and I left the ship to find you. He asked Law to pick us up and rendezvous with the Sunny halfway through.”

Sanji needed to talk with Luffy too. He wanted to ask about his biological family – the Vinsmokes. Why were they looking for him? After all these years, why would they come back to his life?

“And about that thing why I was staring at you…” The swordsman sighed and scratched the skin above his eyebrow for a moment before he spoke, “I just thought that… seeing you again in the galley, it felt so implausible and real at the same time. Cooking and walking around like you did four years ago. That image was the one that everyone in this ship had fucking missed so much, and finally having it again today brought back that sense of familiarity and comfort in the entire ship. Well, at least for me.”

Sanji didn’t realize that he was staring at Zoro with parted lips and wide eyes. He felt his speech leave him because he had never heard the man mention before how much he’d missed him, his presence, his food, fuck, everything about him. Hearing Zoro admit that his return had given him back that sense of “familiarity and comfort” made the blond’s heart jump inside his chest.

Sometimes, Sanji thought if his body had its own mind because before his brain could process what he was doing, his main purpose for going here was already forgotten and his hand was snaking around Zoro’s neck, pulling the man toward him to smash their lips together in a heated and passionate kiss.

* * *

**Warning: Mature content ahead.**

* * *

Zoro gasped against Sanji’s lips as he felt the blond’s fingertips dug on the skin at the nape of his neck. His right leg slid down at the edge of the sofa and he moved closer to place his hands on the blond’s hips.

Sanji plunged his tongue inside his mouth, rubbing everything inside sensually which spiked the lust and want in Zoro’s system. He fought the blond’s tongue with his own, and from Sanji’s soft whines and moans, he knew that the battle was in his favor.

His hand gripped the buckle of Sanji’s belt and he flicked the metal open with his fingers and pulled the leather all the way off his belt loops. The blond moaned against his lips as his hands gripped green strands of hair, pulling on them roughly due to Zoro’s rashness and bold move.

The swordsman flicked the button of Sanji’s pants open and then pulled his zipper down. His fingers tugged on the blond’s waistband and he groaned impatiently against Sanji’s lips, “Get this goddamn thing off.”

A breathy chuckle came out from Sanji’s throat and he immediately lifted his hips to pull his legs free from the already too tight fabric. The swordsman’s hand caressed the muscles on Sanji’s thighs and the blond shivered slightly when he felt him slip his fingers under the hem of his boxer shorts.

“This thing’s in the way,” Zoro uttered in a low voice as he continued to claim Sanji’s lips.

The blond broke free from the kiss for a moment, inhaling deeply, before he said, “Wait. Zoro–”

“Come on, Cook.” Zoro leaned forward and smiled as he bit Sanji’s bottom lip. “I already saw and touched that _thing_. Don’t shy away from me.”

Sanji’s eyebrows pulled down at Zoro’s taunting words. He lifted himself up from the sofa and stood in front of the swordsman who was slightly taken aback by his sudden movement. He took the man’s hand and put it on his waist. Grinning, Sanji said, “If you want this thing off, then take it off yourself.”

The swordsman’s grey eye grew darker and his throat constricted at the blond’s provocative remark. Without thinking another second, he pulled Sanji’s waist toward him, settling the blond between his thighs as his thumbs rubbed soothing circles on the smooth skin under his sharp V cut. Sanji breathed in a shaky breath as his trembling fingers undid the buttons of his shirt.

Pleased, Zoro pressed his lips under the blond’s belly button, trailing down soft kisses on his skin as his hands tugged the waistband of his boxer shorts down slowly. Zoro stopped momentarily as his lips felt a slightly rough texture against the blond’s soft skin.

He pulled away for a moment, his grey eye landing on the visible horizontal scar a few inches below the blond’s belly button. Sanji seemed to realize what was happening and his cheeks burnt with embarrassment.

“That’s… uh…” he tried to explain but there was no need for that. The swordsman’s thumb was already brushing against his scar, tracing the thin line and feeling its coarseness under his pad.

A deep and thoughtful look engulfed the man’s grey eye. His lips were slightly parted and his breaths were deep and calm. “Is this when you gave birth to Kaitarou?”

Sanji swallowed thickly and he stroked the inside of Zoro’s wrist, feeling his cheeks burn as he answered quietly, “Yes.”

Zoro took a sharp breath and all his gears just broke because of that. His heart was swelling with so much affection toward the blond and he was worried for a moment that it would burst. His lips pressed against the lovely newfound mark on the blond’s abdomen. As he did this, he could feel himself connect with the cook in more ways than he had before.

As his lips pressed against that thin horizontal scar, he could somehow travel back in time when his son was still growing inside the cook. And it also seemed that Zoro was brought back to that moment in Sanji’s memory when Kaitarou was born to the world. He was so tiny and delicate, so dear and precious. He was wrapped inside a warm blanket and Zoro remembered that time when Sanji stroked their son’s hair affectionately but at the same time laughed because of its ridiculous color.

 _“Hey, you got moss on your head just like your dad,”_ Sanji said in his memory.

Zoro’s fingers pulled on Sanji’s waistband further and the blond’s erection sprung free from the restraints of his boxers. He heard the blond gasp but Zoro was too focused on kissing, licking and nipping the skin at the junction between his thigh and body.

As the fabric hit the floor of the crow’s nest, Zoro pulled Sanji on his lap, his strong thighs straddling him and his long, slender fingers curling on the short strands of his hair. The swordsman tossed his shirt over his head and mindlessly threw it somewhere on the floor.

Sanji nibbled on his lower lip and his hands slid up Zoro’s chest, feeling the smoothness of his skin and the roughness of his scar. His fingertips tingled at the sensation of Zoro’s skin. Every hard-trained muscle, every faint and shallow cut and every indentation on his skin felt so wonderful under Sanji’s palm.

Zoro kissed Sanji’s jaw, the sensitive skin under his earlobe and his inviting pale neck. “Cook,” he murmured against the blond’s neck. “I want you.”

The desperate words lit up a flame inside Sanji’s body, burning every fiber of his being but never turning to coal or ember. His arms went around Zoro’s neck and he pulled the man against him, wanting to eliminate as much space as he could, to be as close to the man as he could.

God. He fucking love Zoro so goddamn much.

Zoro’s hands went over his ass, squeezing them desperately and earning him a deep groan from Sanji. “Fuck. I really want you,” he said breathily as he bit the blond’s neck gently. “I want to have another child with you.”

Sanji’s groin tightened at Zoro’s words. His nails scraped the skin on Zoro’s shoulder and his forehead dropped down at the crown of his head. “F-Fuck,” Sanji said breathlessly and he wondered for a second if it was possible to come without being physically stimulated.

“Wait. Zoro,” the blond managed to say before he lost his mind. “Let’s – no. Not now. In bed.” Sanji couldn’t form any cohesive thought right now. He felt so fucking turned on and his heart was beating a thousand miles per minute inside his chest.

The swordsman gave out a frustrated grunt. “Shit. Remind me to haul a fucking bed up here next time.”

Sanji chuckled as he waited for Zoro to pull down the fly of his zipper. The swordsman pulled his cock out from his boxers and pressed it together with Sanji’s erection. The blond gasped at the added friction and he almost choked on his own breath when Zoro pumped them both at the same time.

“Sh-shit.” Sanji’s mouth hung open as he pressed his forehead against Zoro. The swordsman was panting quietly near his mouth.

Zoro gripped them tightly for a second, adding the right amount of pressure at the perfect time and at the perfect place before pumping again, making Sanji moan loudly and causing his back to arch. The movement was so graceful that Zoro felt his balls tighten at the explicit sight.

He wanted the cook like this. He wanted to make his face contort with carnal needs and wants. He wanted him to moan his name. He wanted him to arch his back as pleasure shot through his spine. He wanted him panting. He wanted his skin hot, wet and red. Fuck. He wanted to break the cook open.

“Zoro… Ah… Shit!” Sanji continued to pant heavily through his open mouth beside Zoro’s ear. His breaths were hot and harsh as Zoro’s pace became faster.

“Cook. Kiss me.”

Sanji obeyed to the command and let his swollen lips mold together with Zoro’s, moving with such fluidity and passion. Zoro pulled on both of them and Sanji’s mouth slackened with a moan resonating deep inside his throat. “Zoro. I’m–I’m close… Ah…”

“Me too.” Zoro snatched Sanji’s lips again. He flicked his wrist harshly and his palm tightened around them, making the cook cry against his lips. “Come on, Cook,” Zoro urged, “Come for me.”

He felt Sanji’s erection pulse inside his hand and he spilled his seed between their chests, Zoro’s name slipping loudly from his mouth and echoing along the curved walls of the crow’s nest. The sight was too much for him and a few more pumps tipped the swordsman on the edge. He came with a loud grunt on Sanji’s shoulder, his thick release spurting between them.

Both men caught their breaths, basking in their afterglow and tried to calm themselves to take them down from their high. After a few minutes of silent breaths between them, Sanji moved and placed his hands on Zoro’s cheeks. He leaned forward to plant a soft and gentle kiss on the swordsman’s lips. The kiss lingered, their lips moving languidly against each other as their eyes closed to feel the sensation better.

Sanji was the first one to pull away. He wiped the sweat on the swordsman’s forehead as a smile formed on his mouth. “What’s that thing you said earlier, huh, Marimo?” he asked, his voice a bit hoarse.

“What?” Zoro questioned back with furrowed eyebrows.

“That thing about wanting another kid with me?” Sanji said with a teasing smirk on his face.

Zoro chuckled and kissed him briefly. “I do want another kid.”

“Are you serious?” Sanji said in slight surprise. “You’re lucky you’re not the one getting pregnant, Damn Marimo!”

The swordsman rolled his eye dramatically. “Come on, Cook. It won’t be that bad.” His left arm circled Sanji’s waist as his right hand went on the blond’s cheek, his thumb caressing his face softly. “I’ll take care of you. And I’ll be here this time.”

 Sanji’s heart skipped a beat. A lovely pink shade coursed its way toward his face and the swordsman smiled when he noticed the cook’s reaction. “What–” Sanji cleared his throat when his voice came out strained, “What gender do you like?”

The swordsman laughed at the ridiculous question. “I’m fine with anything, Cook. Not like we can choose anyway.”

Sanji frowned at him. “Don’t be such an ass. It’s a sane question!”

As his laugh died down, Zoro shook his head and lifted his gaze up to the cook. “How about you? What gender do you like?”

Sanji’s face lit up at the question and he immediately answered with a smile, “I want a girl. I want my own princess.”

The swordsman’s facial muscles slackened. “You want a girl so that you can spoil her rotten.”

“Well, that’s the main point, idiot.” Sanji smirked at the swordsman’s grimace. “But, yeah, kidding aside. We already have a son, so I hope we’ll be blessed with a daughter next time.”

Zoro wanted to laugh at the cook’s thoughtful expression. He wasn’t about to point out about his willingness to undergo the whole pregnancy thing again. No. He’d better leave the cook in a good mood. If he pissed him off right now, then maybe there wouldn’t be a next time for another love making session.

 _Well, that would suck,_ Zoro thought.

Grinning, the swordsman claimed Sanji’s lips once again before he said, “Then girl it is.”

He would let the cook decide.

-TBC

 

* * *

 

 This wonderful art illustration for Chapter 28 was drawn by [**chio-chan2**](http://chio-chan2.tumblr.com)!

Check out her Tumblr for more amazing stuff!

 

Plus, here's a very cute art made by the great chibi artist [**mizueki**](https://mizueki.tumblr.com/)! :)

Visit her Tumblr for more doses of cuteness!

Little baby Kaitarou with his bears <3

She also made an art illustration for Chapter 25. You can view it [**HERE**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11574693/chapters/28569928).

 


	29. Feelings

**Chapter 29: Feelings**

Nami squeezed the water out of her hair. She took a clip beside the large tub and made a bun, her coffee brown eyes never leaving the little kid who was busy playing with Chopper’s floating rubber duckies. Kaitarou squeezed the toy, making it squeak and thus earning a hearty laugh from the kid.

She smiled and said, “Say, Kai-chan. Do you like ducks?”

“I like bears more,” Kaitarou replied as he made the rubber duck swim on the warm water.

Nami didn’t know if she should ask the kid, but the thought was stuck inside her head for a few years now, never having the chance to ask Sanji about it due to their separation and all the shit that came down to their crew after that. To put it simply, they’d become terribly busy with their conflict with Kaido. They somehow had the upper hand right now, thanks to all the help they’d been receiving from their allied pirate crews, but they all knew that unless the war reached its end, there was no telling if they would win or not.

Their lives hung into a balance at the moment, with one foot stuck on the grave and a loose rope coiled around their necks. She could still remember how the whole world reacted when the two notorious pirate groups clashed against each other, that one great encounter near the shores of Wano Island where the Strawhat Grand Fleet collided with dozens of vessels under the command of a furious yonkō.

All of them never expected for the war to drag on this long. Luffy wouldn’t be the Pirate King if he couldn’t defeat Kaido, that much they were sure, that was why the whole crew was so keen and focused on this war. Yes, they were sailing for another purpose, to find their own dreams, but somehow on top of that, they all wanted to give whatever they could and to sacrifice whatever they’d got, even their own lives, just for Luffy to achieve his dream.

To find One Piece and to be the Pirate King.

Biting the inside of her cheek and mulling over the thought for a few moments, the red-head moved closer to the kid and looked at him directly in the eyes. “Kai-chan,” she began, “do you have a grandfather?”

“Nami.”

The navigator’s eyes shifted to Robin who was sitting on the opposite side of the large tub. Her face was serious and her dark eyes were set in a cautionary look. “I won’t. Trust me, Robin,” she said.

The raven-haired beauty seemed to ease at that. Diverting her attention back to the kid, Nami asked, “Did your Papa say something if you have a grandfather?”

The kid shook his head. “No.” He averted his blue eyes innocently from Nami and continued to play with his toys.

The navigator released a sigh and she closed her eyes for a moment to calm her nerves down. What the hell was Sanji thinking? Not telling a single thing about Kaitarou to Zeff? The old man might be thousands of miles away but he was still their cook’s foster parent. He had the right to know about the kid, as much as Zoro–

“Cook-san has his reasons, Nami,” Robin spoke, seeming to read whatever was in her mind.

“I know.” Nami sighed and scooped warm water to pour over her left shoulder. “You know I’m still not fond of the idea about lying to Zoro. I mean, he has the right to know.”

“We didn’t lie. We just didn’t speak a single thing.”

“That’s the same as lying,” Nami added.

“No,” Robin argued. “Everyone has the right to remain silent. Especially when Cook-san made us promise to do so. Lying and telling nothing are two different things. You tell a lie to make things convenient for you, making people believe a false notion and hurting them in the end. But not uttering a single thing is the same as waiting for the right time and for the right person to reveal the truth. And that is Cook-san in this case. It’s a delicate matter between him and swordsman-san alone, so we must not intervene.”

Nami let out a sigh. Robin had a point. “ _‘Hurting people in the end,’_ huh?” She chuckled. “Well, I’m pretty sure Zoro is pissed at us right now. He must be thinking that we betrayed him and shit.”

“He might be,” the other lady said. “But the captain decided what was best for this crew and Cook-san believed that it was best for both of them. For their son as well. So we can’t really blame each other.”

Sliding her palms up her arms, Nami said thoughtfully, “Well, I still think we owe Zoro an apology though.”

Robin smiled and tilted her head to the side. “You’re very kind, Nami.”

The red-head snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, tell that to all the people I’ve stolen from before.”

* * *

 

Kaitarou went with Robin to the infirmary, as requested by their ship’s doctor. Chopper wanted to do a full-on checkup to the kid, stating that he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he didn’t do so. Nami let the two go as she walked her way toward the galley.

Surprisingly, there was no blond hair among the people there, just Franky, Usopp and their rubber captain who was munching on a bowl of cookies baked by Sanji earlier. “Oi, Luffy,” she called and the cookie froze halfway to his mouth. “Does Sanji-kun know you’re eating that?”

Luffy blinked at her and after a while ate the food in one go. “Nuh-uh! Don’t tell him!”

Sighing, she turned around and exited the galley. If Sanji knew that Luffy was stealing food again, then she was sure as hell that the galley would have another “Luffy-shaped” dent on its wall and Franky would be so pissed about it. That would mean more cost on the repairs. Hell no. She wouldn’t pull out a single Beri from her “hard-earned” money for her crew’s stupidity.

“Nami-san?”

Nami’s eyes drifted upwards to the figure descending from the crow’s nest. Sanji dusted off his hands on his pants and walked toward her. “Will you be up late tonight?” he inquired.

“Yeah. I still have to finish the map I’m working on.”

“Do you want me to make something for you?”

Her eyebrow shot up when Sanji was an arm’s length away from her. The cook’s usually combed hair was a bit disheveled and his prim clothes were wrinkled with a button not properly tucked in its slit. It seemed that even with the cook’s best attempt to fix his appearance, it wasn’t clearly enough to fool Nami. After all, the cook smelled of sweat and _something_ that was just intrinsically _male_. And even though he tried to hide it by pulling up his collar around his neck, Nami could still see the faint mark under his left jaw despite the darkness of the night.

Putting the pieces together, a mischievous smirk stretched her lips and her eyes glinted because of that interesting discovery. “Of course, Sanji-kun.” Her eyes shifted meaningfully for a brief moment toward the crow’s nest. “Can you make chamomile tea for me? I’m sure you’ve made something for Zoro for his night watch, right? Since you’ve _been_ up there.”

Oh, yeah. She definitely caught that moment of shock from Sanji. The cook’s visible eye widened for a moment and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “Uh,” he began. “Actually, no, Nami-san. I just talked to the Marimo about something.”

“You _talked_ with Zoro? Since when have you two been so good friends with each other?” Nami pressed on, putting her hands on her hips to emphasize her point. She was having fun pushing Sanji around because, hell, the whole crew knew that he loved Zoro even if he didn’t admit it. And if private _things_ were happening between the two of them under the crew’s noses, then the two stubborn idiots should come out to the light and tell the whole crew that they were freaking together!

“W-Well, uh, you see, Nami-san…” Sanji seemed to have trouble with his reasoning. He rubbed a nervous hand behind his neck and his eyes couldn’t meet with hers. She knew now for a fact that the his two nakama were indeed hiding their relationship.

“Sanji-kun?”

The cook lifted his eyes to the navigator and his chest warmed up when he saw a pretty smile on her lips. “Can you get me my Chamomile tea, now? We can talk in the Map Room later,” she said.

“Of course, my beautiful mellorine,” Sanji said and bowed to her before making his way toward the galley.

Nami chuckled to herself. Well, she was happy that the two finally found the same ground. Zoro was indeed in love with the cook, too. She was the painful witness of the idiot’s longing and lonely hours when Sanji was still away from them. He would never admit it, of course, and she wasn’t really the best reader of a person’s character unlike Robin, but she could clearly see the swordsman’s silent yearning for the blond: how he sometimes sat alone in the galley, staring into the space between the stove and the kitchen counter where Sanji usually stood; how she caught Zoro that one time when he was sitting on Sanji’s bunk in the men’s room, and how he kept Sanji’s golden lighter and vivre card close to him all the time.

He’d missed him. Terribly so. But he was far too stubborn and dense to realize his own feelings.

She could be kind of a bitch at times, but she wasn’t that much of a temperamental and insensitive woman to march her way to the crew and tell them about the two. No. She would let the two break the news to them. But if Sanji and Zoro needed a slight push to take the first step, then she would gladly offer a hand, or maybe a fist, to make it happen.

* * *

 

Sanji decided to take a quick shower first before preparing his sweet Nami-san’s Chamomile tea. He felt sweaty and uncomfortable. He didn’t like his clothes sticking to his damp skin and he most definitely didn’t like appearing in front of his angels like he had run a fucking marathon.

The events of his _hot_ encounter with Zoro in the crow’s nest played like a broken record inside his mind. His skin vividly remembered the swordsman’s gentle hands pressing with the most sensitive and exquisite pressure against his body. He remembered how his slightly chapped lips ghosted over his scar on his abdomen.

He had never felt so needed by anyone before. Zoro made him feel wanted. _Desired._ And it was all too much that it sometimes made the cook’s head spin.

After putting a comfortable sweatshirt and a pair of tracksuit pants, Sanji went immediately to the galley to obey the lovely woman’s request. As the aroma wafted under his nose, seemingly satisfied with the preparation, he put the ceramic teapot and a cup on his round tray. He exited the galley and took the stairs toward the Map Room.

He knocked three times before he heard Nami’s voice. “Come in.”

Sanji gripped the handle and opened the door, balancing the tray on his left hand with great skill. As he went inside the room, he saw Nami hunched over her work table, her quill drawing practiced strokes on the paper and an oil lamp brightly illuminating some of her geography books and unfinished maps.

“Here’s your Chamomile tea, Nami-san,” he said as he placed the teapot and the cup on her table. As usual, Sanji poured a serving for her, lifting the teapot high in the air as the aromatic liquid filled the cup. Nami thanked him and put her hands around the cup, feeling the warmth seeping through the ceramic and lifting the tea to inhale the fragrance. She took a sip on the tea and tasted the floral sweetness and crisp apple flavor she was craving for.

Delighted, she looked at Sanji who was watching her like how he did so many times before, anticipating and waiting for her reaction if she liked it or not, always there at her side so that he could immediately redo and adjust the tea to her liking if ever she would complain.

She didn’t remember much of her complaints regarding his food – if ever there was one. Because if there was, like if it was too salty or too sweet, then Sanji would just nod his head, ask for an apology and had already fixed the problem by the time the same food was served. He wasn’t telling anyone, but Nami had always thought that the cook took mental notes of the crew’s appetite and adjusted the food to suit their preferences. Because every one of them never had to complain about the same stuff ever again.

“It’s perfect,” she said with a smile, and it _was_. The Chamomile tea was prepared according to her taste, just how exactly she wanted it.

She saw the expectant look on the cook’s eye shifted to something that was equivalent to satisfied and pleased. “I’m glad you liked it,” she heard him say.

“Let me excuse myself so you can enjoy your tea,” Sanji added.

He was about to leave when Nami stopped her, “Wait, Sanji-kun.”

He turned his head around and saw how Nami’s open mouth tried to work out the next words. “Um,” she hesitated, her fingers fidgeting on the ceramic cup inside her palms, “do you have something to do?”

“Uh,” he thought for a second, “I was just about to check on Kaitarou.”

“He’s with Robin and Chopper right now. I think Chopper isn’t finished yet with his checkup on him,” Nami stated, her eyes darting on the floor briefly before shifting back on him. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

If this situation happened four years back, then Sanji would probably be sprouting hearts all over his body right now. Having a moment alone with his beautiful Nami swan, with her long, wavy hair, pretty face and curvy body was too good to be true for Sanji. The excitement was there, probably due to the fact that he would be having a very pleasant company, but something was lacking. He was certain of that.

But before he could dwell on that thought, Nami eyed him expectantly which elicited a spontaneous response from the blond. “Of course! Anything for my beautiful angel!”

Nami chuckled and set her tea cup down on the table. Sanji sat on the chair beside her working table, his eyes absorbing the fine lines and grids on the maps laid before him. He could read maps, of course. But actually being the one to _draw_ them, well, he couldn’t see himself doing that. That was why he respected Nami so much – being able to chart out islands after islands and in the future, the whole world.

“Sanji-kun. I’m sorry if I’m intruding with something but,” Nami said as she bit her lower lip, “have you told Zeff about Kaitarou?”

The question took him by surprise and he found his mouth suspended before he could pick himself up. “U-Um…” he stammered out. “I–I…”

Nami saw the shock and debate in his blue eye and she suddenly felt guilty about asking. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. It’s too personal.”

“No, Nami-san.” He didn’t want her apologizing to him. As a gentleman, it was his fault for making the lady say such things and for making her feel terrible. “Actually, I…” Sanji ran a hand through his hair and then settled it behind his neck. “I haven’t told him.”

Nami regarded him carefully for a moment before she nodded. “I thought so.”

Sanji looked at her in slight surprise. “You thought so?”

She nodded. “Well, yeah. I mean, you opted not to tell anything to Zoro so I just assumed that you wouldn’t inform your old man about it.”

The cook’s eyes lowered on his lap, his fingers fiddling on the fabric of his tracksuit pants. “It wasn’t exactly a very great news – learning that your foster kid who was presumed to be a normal male four years ago suddenly got pregnant. The damn geezer will lose his goddamn mind.”

He laughed at the absurdity of the situation. He could clearly hear Zeff’s gruff voice saying stuff like “Are you bullshitting me, Little Eggplant?” or “I told you not to screw up.” Not that Sanji cared about what he would say. Not really. He could curse Sanji to the moon and back for getting knocked up.

The only thing that he cared about was Zeff’s reaction. How his face would contort in an emotion that could break Sanji’s heart.

He didn’t want to see disappointment in that old man’s eyes. And the very fact that he was the one who put it there shattered his being into millions of tiny pieces.

“I understand,” Nami said, making the cook lift his head up to meet her eyes. She put her hand on his, rubbing her thumb soothingly on the back of his hand. “But he’s your _father_ , Sanji-kun. That’s enough of a reason to tell him the truth.”

Sanji’s mind replayed to his miserable past – how his biological father took a blind eye to his brothers’ beatings to him. Vinsmoke Judge had _never_ been a father to him. He was a cold and cruel man, violent and ambitious, treating his children as pawns to his plan of glorifying his kingdom.

Then Zeff came along, shouting at him, kicking him. But had always been there to wrap his hands in bandages, to instill into his mind the principles he had now, to help him realize his dream, to make him feel the love of a father which he had been cruelly deprived of.

Sanji’s eyes stung when he felt longing bloom inside his chest. He wanted to see the damn geezer right now. He wanted to tell him about his adventures, about his nakama, about Zoro, about his son.

Damn, he missed his _father_ so much.

“I’ll write a letter for him, Nami-san,” Sanji finally said. “I’ll break it to him slowly.”

Nami’s lips stretched into a kind smile. “If you need any help, don’t hesitate to come to me.”

Sanji returned the gesture and uttered a sincere “thank you” to her.

“Oh! I still have your note by the way,” Nami said and when Sanji looked confused for a moment, she smiled and pulled out a folded piece of paper from one of her geography books and handed it to him. Unfolding it, Sanji’s eyes widened at the familiar handwriting scribbled on the old note.

_Nami-san, if you find All Blue, please chart it for me. I will find it and you guys someday. Say thank you to Robin-chan and to the bastards for me. Sorry for the trouble. Sanji._

“I’m sorry, Sanji-kun. We haven’t found All Blue yet so I wasn’t able to chart it for you. But,” she paused to give him a happy smile, “you found _us_ though. So your note doesn’t go to waste.”

Sanji sat speechless in front of the navigator. He didn’t know what to say or what to react when faced with such kindness. His heart beat faster inside his chest, distinctly different than those times when it beat desperately for Zoro, but it was something warm and affectionate, something brimming with gratefulness and overflowing amity. And for the first time, Sanji was able to realize.

He loved Nami. But not the same type of love he had with Zoro.

She was beautiful, capable, undeniably perfect in his eyes, everything he was wishing for a wife, but Nami was more like a sister to him – a close friend, a nakama. Whilst the swordsman was someone he couldn’t name. The man wasn’t one of his closest friends, definitely not someone he would spend hours talking about his interests with. They were rivals as long as Sanji could remember. They got under each other’s skin and they pissed the hell out of each other.

Zoro wasn’t someone he had wished for, wasn’t someone who he had envisioned being together with. But despite that, Sanji loved him. Not the same way he loved Nami as a friend, but in a different and almost inexplicable way. He felt something for the swordsman which he hadn’t felt to anyone in this crew. It was a distinct and succinct feeling which grew larger and larger, warmer and richer, as time passed by.

Sanji knew he was in trouble when he first realized his feelings toward the swordsman because he couldn’t swim back up once he fell down and drown. But for four years, he held on to that feeling, and having it reciprocated with much more force and devotion by Zoro made him fathom how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him.

Having Kaitarou was a proof of their eternal bond, that even though they were apart, there would always be a piece of the swordsman near him. Kaitarou shared half of their beings and he would always be the chain linking both of their lives together.

“Nami-san?” he called out to the navigator.

“Hm?”

Sanji held her hand gently and looked at her in the eyes. “I think I might have loved you before.”

Nami’s mouth slackened a bit because of the outward confession, but after regaining her composure, she chuckled and smiled at him. “Maybe. But I think it’s more of a familial kind of love than a romantic one.” To this, Sanji laughed quietly and nodded.

“Also, ‘before’?” she asked. “So who do you love now?”

Sanji knew she was going to throw that question. However, his mind was clear of any unnecessary thoughts right now, and he wanted nothing but to be sincerely honest with her. Thus, he said, “It might be a bit of a shock, Nami-san, but,” he lifted his eyes and held contact with hers as he said, “I’m in love with the Marimo. Well, unfortunately.”

Nami laughed and brought her palms down repeatedly on his thigh. “I’m not shocked to hear that, Sanji-kun! In fact, I’m waiting for you to tell me about you and Zoro.”

“What?” Sanji asked, surprised.

The navigator grinned and crossed her arms over her chest as she propped her knee on top of the other. “I think the whole crew knows that you love each other waaaay before the separation. No one says a word about it but I think everyone is waiting for you guys to spill the beans.”

Sanji sat dumbfounded on his seat. The whole crew knew? What the fuck?

“So we will appreciate it if you make it official,” Nami said to him with a grin. “We won’t judge or anything. Hell, I’ve always wanted to haul your ass back here whenever I saw Zoro brooding over his feelings for you. It was too pitiful and pathetic to watch. Seriously.”

Sanji blinked at her for a moment before an amused laugh escaped his lips. “Is that true?”

“Hell yeah,” she assured him with a smirk. “He was pretty distraught when you left and I like torturing him about it.”

Sanji laughed. Heck, he loved her all right.

“And about your family, Sanji-kun,” she said, a bit guilty for bringing up the topic and downing the mood, “you should ask Luffy about them.”

“Of course. I will, my angel,” Sanji replied courteously. He honestly didn’t want to talk about his brothers, or anything about his past in the least. But unfortunately, shit came down and his family resurfaced once again.

He’d thought he wouldn’t deal with the name “Vinsmoke” ever again. After being disowned by his biological father, erasing that bloody surname from his existence, taking refuge to East Blue, pursuing his dream of becoming a chef, sailing to the Grand Line to find All Blue, and building up a new life, why did his family have to appear _now_ and destroy everything he had worked so hard for?

“I need to go,” Sanji said to the navigator as he stood from his seat. “It’s already late and I have to tuck my son to bed.”

Nami smiled when he heard Sanji say the word “son.” There was something endearing about it that Nami couldn’t quite place. “Sure. Thanks for the tea, Sanji-kun.”

“My pleasure, Nami-swan!” Sanji twirled and bowed in her presence. Nami rolled her eyes and shooed the cook with a smile.

Sanji walked out of the Map Room, his tray in his right hand. After cleaning up in the galley, he immediately headed toward the infirmary where his son was, as what Nami had said earlier. However, he was met halfway by Robin, who was holding the hand of his sleepy son.

“I was about to send to him to you, Cook-san,” the archeologist said with a smile. “He’s completely healthy according to Chopper.”

“Thank you, Robin-chan.” Sanji bent forward and lifted his son. Kaitarou put his arms around his father’s neck, his head plopping down on his shoulder as his eyes closed sleepily.

“Sleepy,” the kid mumbled on Sanji’s sweatshirt.

“Yeah. We’re going to bed, sweetie,” Sanji said and patted his son’s back. “Good night, Robin-chan.”

“Good night, Cook-san,” Robin answered with a friendly smile.

Sanji excused himself from the lady’s presence and descended the stairs toward the men’s bunk room. He was about to open the door when he heard the heavy thuds of boots on Sunny’s lawn.

“Is he sleeping?”

The cook turned around to the source of that voice and his heart skipped a beat upon seeing him. “Yeah,” he replied.

Zoro moved closer, his katanas clanking against each other as he made his way toward the cook. He walked behind him to have a better look on his son. The swordsman’s lips curved into a lopsided smile as he watched his son sleep peacefully on the cook’s shoulder. He ran a gentle hand on his green hair and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on his forehead.

Sanji sucked in a breath. He wasn’t expecting Zoro to do these things to his son. He thought that the man would be embarrassed to show any kind of affection toward him, but boy was he dead wrong.

It was a silent whisper, just barely heard above the gushing waters of the ocean below, but Sanji was able to decipher the words:

_“Good night, son.”_

But before he could lavish on the lovely feeling, Zoro stood properly and put a hand on his face, turning his head to the side and pressing his lips gently on the blond’s cheek. When he pulled back, he said, “Night, Cook.”

Then the man turned away and climbed back to the crow’s nest to resume his watch. Sanji was left standing there in front of the men’s room, his mouth agape and his cheeks burning brightly under the moonlight. As his son’s steady breathing pressed against his shoulder, he was well aware of the fluttering feeling inside his chest and that he and Kaitarou had finally found someone who would protect and love them forever.

-TBC

* * *

**My art for Sanji and Nami. I love them both. <3**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much fluff. <3


	30. Things That Must Be Said

  * **[Anytramaksnisic](http://anytramaksnisic.tumblr.com) made a wonderful art for [Chapter 18](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11574693/chapters/27066204)! :)**



* * *

 

**Chapter 30: Things That Must Be Said**

“Cook.”

Sanji looked up from the shirt in his hands. Zoro was walking toward him, holding Kaitarou in his arms as the kid played with one of Usopp’s contraptions. He sat down beside the cook on Sunny’s lawn and placed his son comfortably between his thighs.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Mending Kaitarou’s shirt,” Sanji said and jerked his chin toward the device in his son’s hands. “What the hell’s that?”

“Who knows,” Zoro replied and shrugged. “One of Usopp’s weird things.”

“Does it explode or something?”

Zoro snorted at his ridiculous question. “No. What makes you say that?”

“Well,” Sanji sighed, “that Long nose showed Kaitarou his new invention yesterday. It was a canon-like machine and the fucking thing exploded before it even managed to work its shit. A metal scraped Kaitarou’s shirt and I swear to God I’ll kick Usopp’s ass all over the Grand Line if that thing hurt him.”

“What?” Zoro exclaimed in shock. “How the hell I didn’t know that?”

Sanji rolled his eyes at him and continued to sew the small shirt in his hands. “Well, you’re taking your nap at the stern, idiot. Everyone knows nothing can wake you up even if this whole damn ship sinks.”

The swordsman blinked at him for a couple of times before landing his eye on the device in Kaitarou’s hands. It was a wooden box with a tiny metal ball inside and his son was flipping it to the side to make it move.

“Uh, son?” Zoro said as he took the “toy” from the kid’s hands. “Can I see this first?” He was going to have a long talk with Usopp about this thing, to make sure nothing weird will pop out of it like firecrackers or a fucking shuriken.

“But I’m playing it,” Kaitarou said as his lower lip jutted out, pouting and frowning at his father which made the man’s decision tilt a few degrees.

Sanji noticed Zoro’s predicament and he laughed at the torn expression on his face. Well, he was kind of weak against that kid’s “secret weapon” as well, hence he couldn’t actually blame Zoro for reacting like that.

The blond took the teddy bear beside him, the one which he had to fix earlier because one of its eyes fell while his son was running around the ship. Smiling, he offered the toy to his son who accepted it willingly with a hug. “Popo,” he said.

“Who’s Popo?” the swordsman asked.

“Uh, the bear?” Sanji chuckled.

Zoro hummed in understanding and watched his kid play with the toy, sometimes hearing him say things which only the kid could understand in his own little world. His eye caught the small patches on the teddy bear and the worn out stitches which had been undoubtedly mended a few times before in order to hold the cotton inside.

“Is this thing old?” he asked the cook.

“Kinda,” Sanji answered as he pierced the needle through the clothing. “I asked Sora-chan to buy that in Bartero for Kaitarou’s birthday. It’s the only toy he has, so you can say that it’s the only thing he can play with. That’s why it looks a bit ragged and old.”

A dull ache squeezed Zoro’s heart. He didn’t know how tight the cook’s budget had been in the past four years but he couldn’t imagine him holding up anything for their son. Somehow, he could see him laying every tangible thing before Kaitarou, spoiling him rotten, because he had always been like that to the ladies. But that was not the case.

And at that moment, Zoro decided. Even though he had one hell of a debt from Nami, he would save up his allowance and after they had rescued this Dr. Ranport, he would find the nearest toy store in the next island they would dock on and buy his kid tons of new toys.

Fuck. He had to cut down his booze if he wanted to save a few good Beris. Maybe, if he managed to save enough, he could buy his son new clothes as well.

The swordsman stared at the cook, who was busily stitching up their son’s shirt. Sanji’s blue eyes were downcast, his blond eyelashes casting soft shadows on his cheekbones as his hair swayed gently against the wind.

 _He has long lashes_ , he thought.

There were faint lines on his forehead and at the corners of his mouth. People said that pregnancy could make a woman look more mature, but he wasn’t quite sure if the same applied to the cook.

Nevertheless, Zoro didn’t want to dwell more on that. Those soft creases on Sanji’s skin were proof of how strong he’d been as he carried their son. How much pain and sacrifice he’d been through to get up this point. And as much as he willed not to think about it, the cook had always looked beautiful in front of him.

“Fuck.” The cook jolted as a sharp pain stung his index finger. Blood exuded from the needle wound and he immediately searched his pocket for a handkerchief. But before he could even pull it out, a strong hand gripped his wrist and he almost jumped in place when Zoro licked the blood on his finger.

Sanji’s eyes widened and his cheeks burned bright red because of that. He could feel Zoro’s tongue on his finger, the warmth and wetness of his mouth, and his heart skipped a beat when he felt him suck on that digit.

Zoro released the cook’s finger from his mouth and he smirked at the flustered reaction of his lover in front of him. The blond blinked dumbly for a few times before his face set into a half-hearted scowl. “What the fuck are you doing in front of Kaitarou? That’s disgusting, you bastard!” he hissed.

The swordsman let out a low laugh. “That’s what I always do when I was a kid. Helps to stop the bleeding.”

Sanji wanted to kick the smug bastard’s ass for embarrassing him like that but to his horror, when his eyes landed on the little kid between the swordsman’s thighs, he was met with the same inquisitive blue gaze that he had been accustomed to for more or less three years now.

“Daddy,” Kaitarou said as he shifted his eyes up to Zoro. “Does Daddy love Papa?”

Zoro laughed at the kid’s question and ruffled his mossy green hair. “What kind of question is that?” He flicked his eye at the cook, brazenly arching an eyebrow and stretching his mouth into a lopsided grin. “Of course I do.”

Sanji’s heart thundered inside his chest and found himself averting his eyes from the swordsman, diverting his attention instead on the handkerchief in his hand and on his wounded finger. “Shut up,” he said quietly as his cheeks burned brightly.

He heard a laugh from the swordsman and he watched through his peripheral vision how the man talked with their son. He hadn’t expected Zoro to be this outspoken with his feelings. He was a stoic and reserved man, and being forthrightly confessed to by him made Sanji’s heart and stomach tingle with fluttery sensations.

He remembered the crew’s reaction yesterday, when they were all in the galley eating lunch and Zoro just had to swing by the sink and grabbed his hand in a tight grip. He dragged Sanji on the dining table and before he could protest or kick his ass for manhandling him, the swordsman spoke up.

_“I’m with the cook.”_

Sanji’s initial reaction was to have his jaw falling on the floor. The crew looked at them back and forth, silent and with curious eyes. Zoro’s confession was so straightforward and out of the blue. He still had a dish rag on his other hand when the swordsman dragged him to his crew and dropped the bomb.

To Sanji’s surprise, the Strawhats smiled and laughed happily at them, clapping their hands together and congratulating their two nakama for finally stepping into the light. Sora and Vallo exchanged happy smiles as well.

“Oh my.” Robin tossed a coin at Nami, who expertly caught it in the air and gave it a brief kiss.

“Thank you,” she said in a singsong voice as she smirked at her. “I told you Zoro will go first.”

“Cook-san.” Robin gave Sanji a smile, which from his past experiences meant that she was not too happy about the outcome of her bet with Nami. “You took your sweet time.”

Ah, the venomous tongue of her lovely angel!

“That’s suuuuper!” Franky exclaimed. “Let me clean up one of the storage rooms in the Sunny. I will build you and Zoro-bro a suuuuper couple room!”

“What?!” Sanji said in disbelief as his eyes popped out from their sockets. “Don’t do that!” He turned his head to the swordsman for help. “Tell him no, you idiot!”

Zoro yawned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t care. Whatever.”

A vein throbbed on Sanji’s temple and he quickly kicked the sleepy swordsman’s ass out of the galley– _literally_ –before he could take another step.

“Do you know where’s Mugiwara-ya?”

The cook snapped back to reality at that low voice. When his head lifted up, his gaze was met with dark, hollow eyes. Law shifted on his feet as his hand rested comfortable on the sheath of his long sword upon his shoulder.

“Bepo and the others just arrived. I need to speak with your captain. They have information about Kaido’s next plan,” Law said.

“He’s at the galley, I think,” Sanji replied. “I made a snack for the crew so he’s probably there and eating his life away.”

The former shichibukai nodded and walked away from them.

“Captain!”

Law halted in his steps and turned his head around. “What?”

“Can I come with you?” Bepo asked as he sprinted toward his captain.

_“AH!”_

The two Heart Pirates jerked their heads toward the source of that loud voice. Sanji’s lips were parted as he stared at his son, whose eyes were wide and disbelieving. His mouth hung open in utter surprise and raised a shaky finger at the Heart Pirate.

“It’s…” Kaitarou blinked for a few seconds before his lips broke out into a happy smile. “It’s a _huge_ _bear!”_

The kid jumped out from Zoro’s lap and immediately ran toward Bepo. He wrapped his arms tightly on the Heart Pirate’s leg, clutching on his fur and burying his cheek excitedly on the white strands.

“Oh, hey, hey, kid!” Bepo stumbled on his feet and he lifted his leg to shake the little kid off him. “Get off me, you squirt!”

_“Oi.”_

Bepo froze, making his leg stop mid-motion and letting the little kid dangle in the air. He turned his neck slowly to the source of that voice and he felt himself sweat rapidly under his fur.

Sanji and Zoro stood up from the lawn. The cook’s hands were shoved deeply inside his pockets, while the swordsman flicked the hilt of Wado with his thumb. Their eyes were shadowed and their lips were set into a thin line.

And when the two Strawhats looked up, Bepo felt a dangerous chill ran down his spine.

“Put him down, big-ass fur ball,” Sanji said in a dangerous tone.

“Make another wrong move and I’ll shave you alive,” Zoro spoke with the same intensity.

Bepo swallowed thickly and slowly– _oh-so-slowly–_ lowered his leg down on the lawn. Kaitarou continued to hug his leg but the Heart Pirate couldn’t care less. “Um. Captain?” he said in a strained voice and turned his head to his captain for help. But the man had his head bowed, his eyes hooded by his cap as he tried to fight the amused smile tugging on his lips.

From that moment on, Bepo knew he was _so_ screwed.

* * *

 

Two days after, as the daily routine in the Sunny took place, Usopp’s voice boomed from the speaker in the crows nest.

“Land ho!”

Nami immediately dropped the book from her grip and went to Franky beside the helm. “How far are we?” the cyborg asked.

“From this distance, maybe two hours before sunset,” Nami replied as she watched the arrow of her log pose point toward the island. “Maintain this speed, Franky.”

“You got it, Nami-sis!” Franky said with a salute.

“Everyone!” the navigator shouted to catch the attention of her crew. “We’re going to dock on the island in a few hours so we need to plan right now.”

The Strawhats gathered around her and she took the map tucked on the waistband of her pants. Unrolling it, Nami sat on the lawn and pointed at certain parts of the island wherein they could dock secretly and hide the ship.

“We need to have two search teams,” she said. “The first team team will cause havoc when the situation calls for it to divert the attention of the enemies. Then the other will secretly sneak in to find Ranport-san.”

“Luffy,” she added and pointed at the rubber captain, “you will be on the first team.”

“Shi-shi-shi!” Luffy laughed. “Can I raid the kitchen while I’m at it?”

The navigator rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just cause a commotion then I don’t care.”

“Yosh!” The captain grinned widely and placed his hands on his hips.

“Sanji-kun,” Name said as he looked at the cook, “since you’re the only here, aside from Vallo-san and Sora-chan, who knows what Ranport-san looks like, you’re going to be on the second team.”

“Of course, my mellorine!” the blond replied giddily.

“What?” Zoro interrupted. He frowned at the navigator and said, “The cook can’t go. That island is swarming with those black market bastards who are after _him_. He can’t go there.”

“Huh? What the hell are you talking about, shitty swordsman?” Sanji asked, annoyed.

“Then what do you suggest we can do, Zoro?” Nami said with a sigh.

“I can look for that man,” he said. “Just give me a description and–”

“Oh, hell no, Marimo!” the cook said and let out a sarcastic laugh. “We’ll _die_ of old age before you even manage to find him. You’ll get your ass so fucking lost.”

“I _don’t_ get lost!” Zoro roared at the cook. “Let me go with you then.”

“No,” Sanji replied with a frown. “I can’t have you running around while I’m trying to sneak in. I’m not going to baby-sit your directionless mossy ass.”

“Um…” Chopper stepped forward and scratched his head with his hooves. “I know what Dr. Ranport looks like. I was with Sanji when we met him in Bartero Island four years ago. If it makes you comfortable, I can look for him instead.”

It was a great suggestion and Zoro felt a bit of relief flush his system. However, that fleeting good feeling vanished when the cook shook his head. “I appreciate your help, Chopper. But no.” He looked back at swordsman, staring at him firmly as he said, “I’m the one who’ll look for him. I’m going.”

Zoro let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re just being stubborn cook.”

And he was. They both knew he was. Because the cook probably thought that Zoro’s reason for stopping him was that he thought he didn’t trust his strength which was definitely not the case!

Sanji cocked his head to the side. “Have you lost that pea brain of yours, Marimo?” he stated, irritation palpable in his voice. “Or have you forgotten that I can completely hold myself in a battle?”

Zoro was just worried. Simple as that. He should just tell it to the cook, but he couldn’t. He knew that if he said it now, it would just piss the blond more.

“ _‘_ Can completely hold yourself in a battle’?” Zoro took a few steps closer to Sanji.

_He should stop._

“Are you kidding me?”

_He should fucking stop. Right now._

Zoro laughed sarcastically and locked eyes with the cook, letting the words roll out from his tongue which he would definitely regret later on.

“Tell that to me again when we talk about what happened in that auction house,” he said.

Then there it was–the look of utter horror, pain and _betrayal._ They were all contorting the cook’s face as shallow breaths left his mouth.

“Oi, Zoro!” Nami interrupted and stood up to break the tension. “Stop this–”

“You’re bringing that up?” Sanji said in disbelief, cutting Nami mid-sentence. His blue eye was dark, bleeding a deeper shade of blue as he glared at the swordsman. “You’re blaming me of being captured?”

“Sanji-kun,” Nami said as her eyebrows knotted in worry.

Sanji’s fists trembled beside him with red-hot fury. He felt so betrayed. So fucking betrayed. Zoro thought he was weak, and that concept alone pained him in more ways than one.

He bared his teeth at the swordsman and said, “Just because I carried our child didn’t mean I became less of a man! I’m not weak, you fucker!”

Sanji threw a kick toward Zoro’s head but as expected, the swordsman was able to dodge it. Growling in frustration, the cook balanced himself on his hands and aimed a kick toward him again. The sole of his dress shoe collided with Kitetsu’s blade.

He glared at the swordsman, feeling the anger burning brightly inside him, and attempted for another round of kicks to show Zoro just how fucking pissed he was when a small voice spoke behind him.

_“Papa.”_

Sanji froze. He sensed the swordsman’s body went rigid as well and he retracted his foot from the man’s blade. Sanji stood up, his heart beating loudly inside his chest as his eyes landed on the small figure beside Bepo.

His curly eyebrows were pulled together as his lower lip quivered, looking at his fathers with that sad expression on his face. “Stop fighting,” Kaitarou said quietly, his little voice shaking as tears welled up in his throat.

Sanji felt his anger subside when he saw the mournful look on his son’s face. His feet automatically went toward him and he crouched down to lift the kid in his arms. “Sorry. Did we scare you?” Sanji said as he ran a hand to wipe the sweat on Kaitarou’s forehead. “Your dad and I just had a misunderstanding, but we’re good. Okay?”

The little kid nodded wordlessly and wrapped his arms around Sanji’s neck, burying his face deeply on his father’s shoulder. The cook looked back at his nakama who were staring quietly at him, worry evident on their faces and he suddenly felt the urge to apologize to them.

The blond’s eyes landed on Zoro, who was standing still on his spot with his katana still unsheathed and held loosely at his side. His gaze was on the ground, looking lost in space, but Sanji could see the clenching of muscles on his jaw.

Zoro was affected as well, but he didn’t know what was the right thing to do at that moment.

Letting out a sigh, Sanji turned his back to them and without another word, walked himself toward the galley with his son’s arms still wrapped around his neck.

The tension that the cook left stunned the whole crew. Zoro moved again after for what seemed like a century for him, and slid Kitetsu back on its saya. He took in a deep breath, hoping that it would lighten the heavy feeling inside his chest.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and his head turned to the side to face his captain. “I know you’re worried, Zoro,” Luffy stated, “but you have to trust Sanji.”

“I _do_ trust him. It’s just that… Fuck. I don’t know.” Zoro ran a hand frustratingly down his face. He felt so fucking messed up. He didn’t know what to think anymore. He was fucking worried about the cook and he desperately wanted to keep him away from those bastards who wanted to hurt him.

“I know.” Luffy smiled at him. “Because you love him.”

It was just a simple reason, but perfectly enough to provide an explanation for his action. Zoro felt the corner of his mouth curve up and he tapped a hand on Luffy’s shoulder. “Thanks, Captain.”

The rubber captain grinned broadly and the whole crew let out relieved sighs after that. After the heavy atmosphere dissipated, Nami spoke up. “I know you may not like this, Zoro,” she began, “but we need you to stay in the ship. Vallo-san, Sora-chan and your son will be staying here and with Luffy running around the island and with Sanji-kun searching for Dr. Ranport, you’re the only one in this crew who is capable of protecting them.”

Just like what Nami said, Zoro didn’t like that idea, not one bit. He hated missing the action and he didn’t want to be left behind. However, she was correct. He couldn’t risk his son and the other’s safety. All of them were working together for the same purpose and the only thing that he could give them was his cooperation.

“Bepo?” Nami said as he looked at the Heart Pirate. “Can you fetch your captain for me?”

“A-Ah, yes! Yes, of course!” Bepo stammered out as if he was snapped back to reality and hurriedly ran away to go to their ship.

“I’ll ask Law to come with Sanji-kun,” Nami said to the swordsman and smiled. “That okay?”

Zoro contemplated for a moment before crossing his arms over his chest. “Fair enough.”

* * *

 

The Thousand Sunny docked on the west coast of the island. After going over their plan again, the Strawhats decided to finally disembark from the ship: Law teaming up with Sanji as the remaining ones headed on their separate way.

Zoro watched as that blond hair disappeared through the woods. He wanted to talk to Sanji, to hug him and whisper “take care” to his ear but he couldn’t. The cook wouldn’t look at him in the eye and he just couldn’t say a single thing to him as well.

There was this heavy tension between them and it was unsettling the swordsman, especially after parting ways without even saying good bye.

“Daddy?”

Zoro looked at the kid sitting inside his arms. “Yeah?”

The kid looked at him with those blue eyes and for a moment, Zoro thought that he was looking directly at the cook. His heart ached longingly at the thought and he desperately tried to push it away before his emotion surfaced on his face.

“Are you fighting with Papa?” Kaitarou asked with furrowed eyebrows.

Zoro let out a sigh and brushed a few strands of hair from his son’s forehead. “We’re having a misunderstanding right now, but we love each other. Remember that, okay?”

Kaitarou nodded and wrapped his arms around his father’s neck. “Please make peace with Papa soon.”

The innocent words tugged at Zoro’s heart and he found himself planting a kiss on his son’s head. “I will,” he murmured on his hair. “I’ll talk to your Papa when he comes back.”

* * *

 

“How’s it looking there?” Sanji whispered to his companion.

Law’s eyes scanned the corridor as he kept his back firmly against the wall. “It’s clear.”

The blond nodded and they both sprinted quietly along the hallway. Loud crashes and gunshots could be heard from the inside of the old castle, but he knew for a fact that his crew was already instigating chaos in the island.

They descended the stairs leading to the lowest level. If the captors would keep a prisoner inside a damn castle, then the most logical place to hide them was somewhere with strong walls and steel bars – the dungeons.

After landing on the final step, the two pirates heard footsteps heading toward them and the blond cursed as they were greeted by a fifty-people army. Sanji took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up. Loosening his tie around his neck, he took a drag from the stick and felt the relaxing smoke rush through his lungs.

“Wanna kick some ass?” he asked.

The corner of Law’s mouth curved up and he took his sword out of its sheath. “Let’s get this done, Blackleg-ya.”

* * *

 

The last few enemies banged against the stone walls as Sanji lowered down his leg. He lifted his hand up and his fingers caught the cigarette falling down above his head. _Five seconds_ , he said to himself.

Sanji stared at the fallen bodies in front of him. The others had probably heard them fighting in this area so they must hurry up. “Law,” he called at the man and he jerked his head toward the large double door at the end of the hallway. “Over there.”

The two of them sprinted toward it, not wasting another damn second as they hurriedly kicked and slashed the oak door simultaneously. There were torches lit up against the stone walls but it didn’t help to keep the gloominess of the room away.

As they walked silently along the long stretch of prison cells, their shoes echoing along the walls of the dungeon, a brief flash of shadow caught their attention. A shadowed figure moved behind the bars to their left, the chains on the prisoner’s hands and feet clanking on the stone beneath him.

“Ranport-san?” Sanji said.

The shadow stopped moving and Sanji’s heart thumped inside his chest when he heard a low, raspy voice. “Who’s there?”

The blond took a step back, building up momentum as he surged forward to land a powerful kick against the steel bars. The loud sound echoed inside the dungeon, scaring the shadow and making whoever it was gasp fearfully.

“Shit,” Sanji cursed. “It’s kairoseki.” He looked at Law. “You can’t cut that shit, right?”

“No. But I can do this,” he answered and lifted his hand. _“Room.”_

A blue dome appeared around them and the Heart Pirate twisted his fingers. “ _Shambles.”_

The torch behind them vanished and was replaced by a slumped figure against the wall. As the dome dissipated, Sanji’s footsteps took him toward that chained old man. He crouched in front of him and the old man’s eyes widened when he saw him.

“Sanji?”

The blond smiled and nodded. “We’re here to take you out, Ranport-san.”

A flash of relief engulfed the old man’s eyes and grateful tears fell down from his eyes. “Thank you. Thank you,” he said quietly.

Law cut his chains, fortunate enough that the thing wasn’t made up of kairoseki. The old man gripped Sanji’s arm and let out a breath as he looked the young man in the eye. “We can’t go yet,” he said hoarsely.

“Why?” Sanji asked.

“There’s someone there with me.” Ranport looked back at his prison cell. Sanji followed his gaze and his eyes narrowed when he noticed a moving shadow. He knew there was another person there, he felt it through his haki, but he didn’t give a damn about it earlier for he knew for a fact that it was a complete stranger.

“Is that person safe?” he asked and when the old man nodded, he gave Law the signal and the man summoned the blue dome again to take the prisoner out of the cell.

For a moment, Sanji’s eyes widened when he saw a limp figure of a woman lying on the stone floor. “Law, cut her chains,” he said and the man obliged. He quickly stood on his feet and knelt down beside the woman, pulling out his jacket and wrapping it to the delicate body of the lady.

She was dressed in a thin dress and Sanji knew how hard it must be to keep warm amidst the cold temperature of the room. He let her body lean against him and he brushed a strand of brown hair away from her face. “My lady,” he said, “I’m taking you with us.”

The woman took in deep breaths as her delicate eyebrows knotted tightly. Through half-lidded eyes, she looked at Sanji as her chapped lips tried to form out words. “M-Mister…” she said in a strained voice. “Don’t… don’t let me die… yet. My child… needs me.”

After that, the woman closed her eyes and lost consciousness. Law crouched at her side, planting a hand on her stomach, and before Sanji could complain about shamelessly touching a woman’s body, the man’s forehead furrowed as he shifted his eyes to the cook. “Blackleg-ya,” he said, “she’s pregnant.”

Sanji’s lips parted and he quickly looked down at the limp form against him. He felt anger rise up in his system at the pitiful state the lady was placed into. “Damn those bastards,” he growled.

Those cruel people let a pregnant woman lie on a cold stone floor, in a fucking _dungeon,_ probably without a generous supply of food to keep her fed. The lady was thin and judging from the faint hollow of her cheeks and from the small cracks on her lips, she was kept here far longer than he could say. Fuck. She was probably imprisoned here for a few months for god’s sake!

Sanji gathered the woman in his arms and stood up. “Let’s get back to the ship,” he said. “Help me find my crew.”

Law nodded and put the old man’s arm around his shoulders. “Room.” The blue dome extended wider, just like the one in the auction house before, and in blink of an eye, Sanji found himself surrounded by woods once again.

“Your power’s pretty convenient at times like this,” Sanji said with a grin.

The captain just grunted and lowered the old man against a tree. “I’ll find them,” he said and turned his back to the blond, sprinting through a line of trees before baring his sword in the battlefield.

* * *

 

Zoro sensed people coming.

His eye flew open as the footsteps thudded louder. He gave his son to Sora who protectively put the kid behind her. His footsteps guided him to the railings and he felt relieved to see his nakama running toward the ship.

Zoro lowered down the ramp to help them aboard. Once everyone was settled on the lawn, Nami immediately gave instruction to Franky to set sail. The swordsman’s eye immediately scanned the crowd for that crown of blond hair and he let out a sigh after finding what he wanted to see.

“Chopper,” Sanji said, “let’s get her to the infirmary. Ranport-san too.”

Chopper nodded. “I understand. This way.”

Zoro watched Sanji ran after Chopper with a woman in his arms. He felt his eyebrow twitch at that but he told himself to not berate the cook for that petty reason. She must be a prisoner too, and being the gentleman that he was, the cook decided to take her in. Hell, he would probably do the same for those people who needed help so he had no right to complain.

Vallo followed them, gasping in worry as he helped Law carry his father toward the infirmary. After a while, the anchored was lifted and the ship sailed away from the island. Climbing down from the rope, Zoro walked toward Sora and said, “I’ll go to the infirmary for a second. Keep him safe for me.”

When the girl nodded, Zoro looked down at his son and gave him a smile, ruffling his hair playfully. He turned around and guided himself up the stairs, heading toward the one place in the entire ship he didn’t want to find himself in.

* * *

 

Zoro was leaning against the wall of the infirmary, his arms crossed over his chest and his eye watching Chopper as the little doctor cleansed the old man’s wounds and sometimes exchanging a few medical jargons with him.

The lady who was carried by Sanji earlier was sleeping on the bed with a needle buried at the back of her hand. She was on IV, as Chopper would like to call it. He had been in that dreadful state for a few times already and he swore that each of those moments felt like hell to him.

The cook told him to wait. Well, probably out of instinct. _Wait here,_ he said, and so Zoro did. Sanji went out of the infirmary to prepare dinner for everyone and probably a soup for their wounded visitors. After an hour, the cook entered room, holding a tray in one hand filled with two hot bowls of soup.

“Dinner’s in the galley, Chopper,” he said to the doctor briefly before turning his eyes to the swordsman. “You too, Mosshead.”

“You told me to wait,” Zoro reasoned out.

“Yeah, well,” Sanji began to explain as he lowered the tray on Chopper’s desk, “I didn’t really mean that. Sorry.”

Zoro thought so. But instead of lashing at the cook for that stupidity, he withdrew himself from the wall and placed his arm on his sword’s hilt. “It’s fine.”

The cook looked surprised, probably expecting Zoro to be pissed at him. But the swordsman didn’t want to add another reason for Sanji to be mad at him. If the cook wanted him to wait, then he would. Anything he said, Zoro would comply.

The swordsman just wanted to bridge the gap between them as soon as possible.

The cook’s eyes danced with a certain kind of emotion before he opened his mouth to say something. However, he was cut by the sound of a chair creaking against the wooden floor. Chopper jumped out of his seat and immediately jumped on the infirmary bed to examine the IV fluid.

The lady fluttered her eyes open, blinking the blurriness away. “How are you feeling?” Chopper asked.

“Better. Thank you.” The woman placed a weak hand on her belly and said, “Is my baby okay?”

“Yes,” Chopper replied with a smile. “You’re around five months pregnant and don’t worry because the baby is still healthy.”

A shaky sigh released from her throat and the tears burst out of her eyes. “Thank God,” she said between sobs.

The cook went to her and sat on the chair beside her bed. He knew how hard it was to carry a child, and seeing the emotion erupt from deep within her somehow took him back to those times when he was decided on sacrificing everything for his son. He knew the fear of losing the child inside his womb, that moment uncertainty which sometimes kept him awake at night.

He would do anything to deliver his kid safely into this world and seeing the tremendous relief on the woman’s face at Chopper’s statement, he could somehow _relate_ to what she had been going through right now.

“You’ll be alright, my lady,” Sanji said and offered to her a kind smile. “You’re in a safe place. The crew will take care of you.”

The woman nodded as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Thank you.”

“What’s your name?” Chopper asked.

“Rina,” the lady answered.

“Well, Rina, do you have a lover? Or a family? Where do you live?” the doctor asked again.

“I’m from Spring Island, and no, I don’t have anyone with me,” she replied.

“Spring Island?” Chopper thought for a moment and when the memory snapped in, he exclaimed, “Oh! That beautiful island with flowers everywhere! Yes, I know that! We’ve been there a few months ago.”

“Can you take me back there?” Rina asked hopefully.

“Why, Rina-chan?” Sanji asked as he clasped his hands together. “You said you have no family or a lover. What will you do there and…” His eyes landed on the bumb on her stomach. “Who’s the father of that child?”

The woman’s lovely face twisted with raw emotion. The rich color of her beautiful dark eyes ebbed away and her mouth hung open with painful unspoken words. Sanji felt guilt tug his chest and he immediately said, “I-It’s okay, Rina-chan!” He laughed and rubbed a nervous hand behind his head, hoping to lighten up the mood. “You don’t really have to answer! It’s a stupid question.”

“No.” The lady shook her head. “I owe you my and my child’s life. The least I can do is to answer your questions.”

Rina caressed her bump gently, drowning in her thoughts as she reminisced her past. “I was a prostitute.”

The cook felt his jaw dropped at the confession. He didn’t have anything against prostitutes. He respected them, but hearing the words fell from the lovely woman’s mouth made it feel a bit surreal.

“I retired though,” Rina added as she looked down on her belly, “when I learned that I am pregnant.”

“Who’s the father? Maybe we can help you find him,” Sanji offered.

The woman chuckled lightly and shook her head. “He was one of my clients and I couldn’t exactly remember his face. We were too drunk that time and the only thing that I knew about him was his name signed up at the front desk of the brothel I used to work in.”

Gripping a hand on the bed covers, she added, “I tried looking for him. I asked around and found out some dangerous things about him. From that moment on, I knew that he couldn’t be a father to my child.”

Sanji felt a dull ache settle inside his chest. He didn’t want this lady to experience what he had been through a few years ago. It was difficult to raise a kid without Zoro, his other _half._ There was this constant longing and hollow void inside his heart which only the man could fill.

Thus, gripping the woman’s hand, he looked at her determinedly and said, “I’ll help you find him, my lady. Tell me his name and I’ll look for him myself.”

Rina smiled at him gratefully as a tear fell from her eye. “Thank you,” she said quietly as she squeezed Sanji’s hands.

The woman spoke out the words and Sanji felt his lips part. It was a moment of blank state in which he just found himself lost in space and was in too much _shock_ to even form a single word.

With a hopeful look, Rina said, “His name is Roronoa Zoro.”

-TBC


	31. Too Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for letting me hear your reactions and speculations about the last chapter! I'm happy to always hear from you guys. Now, enjoy Chapter 31. :)

**Chapter 31: Too Much**

_“His name is Roronoa Zoro.”_

Sanji blinked a couple of times. His hand was still as rock around the lady’s and with parted lips, he felt his heart bang loudly against his rib cage. Chopper’s jaw was slack and his eyes were popping out of their sockets. Dr. Ranport was quiet. So deafeningly quiet.

He heard no movement behind him. _None._ And when he found the ability to move once again, his head slowly turned around, toward the direction of the man in question, and he was met by a shocked grey eye and parted lips.

When Sanji shifted slightly in his seat, the woman’s eyes caught that flash of green hair behind the gentleman talking to him right now. Her grip automatically tightened on his hand. Her wide eyes were at the swordsman and she whispered breathily, “Oh my god. You’re…”

“Wait, Rina.” Chopper shook his head to regain his composure. “I think you’re mistaken.”

“I’m not!” She tried to sit up abruptly but it was a wrong move. She hissed when sharp pain stung the back of her hand as the IV needle moved inside her vein. She removed her hand from Sanji’s grip and took the needle out.

“Oi, Rina, don’t–” Chopper tried to hold her still but he was stopped by the desperate cry that came out from her.

“It was him!” she said as her face twisted into a pained expression. “I was too drunk to remember the details of your face but I knew you have green hair. When I learned that I am pregnant, I looked up for your name in the brothel’s guest book. I searched around the island for you to talk to you, but then I discovered that you are a notorious pirate. So I stopped.”

“Rina.” The lady’s tearful eyes shifted to the old man sitting at the foot of her bed. “You said that you were a prostitute,” he began, his emerald eyes calculating. “Then you should’ve had a fair share of men in the past. How are you so sure that this young man here is the father of your unborn child?”

Rina’s gaze dropped on the blanket on her lap. She breathed out a deep sigh before saying, “Yes. I was a prostitute. But I didn’t sleep with men frequently, unless the pay was good. So most of the time, I was a hostess.” She tucked brown strands behind her ear, dark eyes lost in space as her memories took her back to that moment in her past.

“No one would accept an uneducated woman in decent jobs these days, unless I have the means to put up my own business,” Rina continued. “I had a lover, and he was considerate about my line of work. He was suddenly indebted to this certain man and he was pressuring him to pay up or else he would kill him. I tried to help him by requesting to the brothel’s Mistress for generous clients who would pay up a large sum of money for my service. But you see, Spring Island is not a very rich country. There are only few who can afford pleasurable services like the ones offered by my workplace – mayor, businessmen, _pirates._ ”

Her fingers fumbled on the fabric of the bed covers, feeling the slightly coarse texture of the finely weaved threads against the pads of her fingers. “I was accompanying and drinking with a client that time when one of my co-workers called me. She said that one of the customers in the bar room was looking for someone to spend the night with and that he was willing to pay generously for the service. I accepted, of course, because it was the perfect opportunity. But when my client left the brothel, I already had too much to drink. So when I accompanied that man, I wasn’t really in my best state and the only thing that I remembered about him while we were having sex was the unnatural color of green hair under the dim light of the room.”

Rina bit her lower lip as she narrated the most hateful part of her story. “I was usually so _careful_ about having sex with men. But that time, I wasn’t my whole self and I had forgotten to do precautions and…” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I discovered that I was pregnant a month later. I knew it was him because I hadn’t slept with anyone else after him. After knowing his name, after searching for him and learning that he was a pirate, I gathered my courage to tell my lover the truth. He didn’t take it well, as expected. So he left me.”

Her voice cracked at the end and mournful tears fell from her eyes. “He ran away. Still with that huge debt. Those people who were after him came to me, demanded for compensation but when I couldn’t give it to them, they took me and dragged me into that cell. I was there for about three and a half months and I… I couldn’t do anything.”

Rina pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes, hoping that the pressure would somehow ease the pool of tears springing freely from them. She sniffed quietly on the bed and Sanji couldn’t bring himself to wipe the tears from her lovely face.

He was staring at her. No. Right _through_ her.

He didn’t know what to do with his information. She could be lying. But his nature just wouldn’t accuse a lady about something as cunning as that whether it was the truth or not.

“Marimo.” He was surprised at how hollow his voice sounded. The words slipped mindlessly from his mouth and they felt eerie and new to his tongue. “Do you remember her?”

Zoro swallowed thickly. He hadn’t recognized her earlier. Heck, he hadn’t even remembered her face for fuck’s sake. He wasn’t the type to remember the face of a person who was not important to him. But the story, the fucking story that the woman narrated to them hit something _solid_ inside him.

He remembered looking for a bar where he could drink to his heart’s content. He got lost, fuck, and ended up in the bar room of a brothel instead. It was around five months ago, when the crew’s communication with Sanji got cut off. There were no mails. No news. Nothing.

That time, he still hadn’t realized what he felt about the cook. And he was frustrated. So fucking frustrated.  He didn’t know why he desperately wanted to see him. Why he wanted to talk to him or just hear his voice alone no matter how silent it was. He’d been in love with Sanji unconsciously for a long time and somewhere deep inside him, he was yearning for the man, that part that was silently dying as the years stretched more and more between them.

He remembered asking for “company.” He had so much built-up frustration and he just _had_ to release all of it. He was sober that time, but had made sure that he had drunk enough to not mind that the person whom he was sleeping with that night was not the one he was desperately craving for.

He thought he’d been careful. But, fuck, he had never regretted anything so bad in his entire life until now.

He could only see the back of Sanji’s head and the outline of the side of his face from where he stood. However, he knew what the cook’s face looked like right now. What emotion was dawning on his handsome features.

Taking in a deep breath, he answered, “Yes. But I was careful. So that child may not be mine.”

A look of shock flashed across the lady’s face. But before she could air her protest, she was quieted by the sound of a chair creaking against the wooden floor. Sanji stood up from his seat, taking a brief moment for contemplation before shoving his hands inside his pants’ pockets and walking toward the infirmary door.

His blue eyes were dark – _dull_ – and cast down. It was as if he was walking aimlessly and that thought alone triggered all the alarms in Zoro’s system. “Cook.” He took a step forward and laid a hand on Sanji’s shoulder but the blond move faster than the blink of an eye.

He smacked the swordsman’s hand away as if his touch was a burning furnace against his skin. “Don’t,” Sanji said without looking. “Let me get someone first. Don’t leave.”

After those words, he exited the infirmary without even closing the door behind him. With lips parted, Zoro’s hand remained suspended in the air. After a while, he lowered his hand to the side and felt both of them balled into tight fists. He gritted his teeth as he thought about that moment of utter _rejection_ from the cook. It was a stab to the heart and it felt so fucking _painful._

Chopper continued to attend to the woman’s needs. He was fixing her IV line, his gaze deeply concentrated on the thing he was working on but he could see the flutter of awkwardness in his eyes. He was quiet, and so was the old man.

Zoro heard two different footsteps – one significantly lighter than the other. They appeared along the gap of the infirmary door and the cook opened it wider to let the girl pass.

Sora stood inside the room, her emerald eyes landing on the woman for a second before giving Sanji a worried look. “What do you want to know?”

“If something really happened between her and Zoro,” Sanji answered with a blank expression.

The teenager’s cheeks flushed a little at the request. However, instead of declining, Sora curled her fingers into determined fists. Nodding, she said, “I understand, Sanji-san.” She turned around to approach the now calming woman on the bed. Her cheeks were tear-stained and she looked up at the girl with bloodshot eyes.

“Can I hold your hand for a second?” she asked to the woman.

“Why?” she said to her hoarsely.

“Sanji-san told me about you, Rina-san,” Sora explained. “I sympathize with your current state but I need to know if you’re telling the truth. I’m sorry to say this, but you’re a _stranger_ to this crew. And the Strawhats can’t afford any form of deception right now, especially when tensions are high between them and those who are after their heads.”

The woman mulled over her thoughts, her dark eyes dropping down for a moment but after a while, she lifted her gaze up to Sora who was looking expectantly at her. “I understand,” she said and laid out her right hand.

Sora was a bit surprised for a moment, thinking if she was indeed lying, then she would blatantly decline the request or divert the conversation away from it. However, it might be a trap – a deceptive move to make her think like that.

She’d met people who had done the same, confidently staying firm on their ground even though they had been proving wrong. Thus, without further ado, she stretched her arm to grip gently the woman’s hand.

She closed her eyes and felt the familiar surge of intrinsic power coursing though her veins. She invaded the woman’s memory, searching deep inside her for that particular moment which Sanji wanted to confirm.

Then, through the haziness, she saw how the scene formed, condensing and stretching into fine details of what had happened in the past. It was a darkly-lit room, with scented candles placed atop the bedside table. And through the dancing shadows along the walls, her vision shifted to the two tangled bodies under the bed covers.

The man had his hands propped on the pillow under her head. And when he moved, a delicate pair of legs rose pointedly under the blanket. Her small back arched gracefully from the mattress, her head thrown back on the pillow and mouth opened to release a wanton moan.

The man lowered himself and panted on the woman’s neck. And in the midst of breathy gasps and throaty moans, a certain word drifted along with them – a word which made Sora’s heart skip a beat and cheeks burn into deeper shade of red.

_“Sanji.”_

Sora’s eyes flew open. She took a sharp intake of breath as she felt her heart palpating inside her chest. Wiping the sweat on her forehead and swallowing thickly, she faced toward Sanji and was met by a silently seeking blue gaze.

“Sanji-san,” she uttered and wiped her sweaty palms on the fabric of her dress, “she’s telling the truth.”

Sanji’s posture straightened as he took in a deep breath. With his chin tipped up and with his eyes closed, he tried to muster every fragment of composure inside his body. His chest felt hollow like it had been excavated; his eyelids felt so dry, almost papery, and his mind was a clean slate of _nothingness_. Like a black hole sucking him in and making him tumble in a dark abyss.

He heard the familiar chime of earrings beside him. He opened his eyes slowly, shifting his gaze lazily to the man approaching him. Zoro’s eyebrows were knotted together tightly. His teeth clenched as muscles jumped on his jaws and his gray eye was anywhere but his _face._ He couldn’t raise his eye at him and it looked so goddamn funny. Sanji wanted to laugh at the Marimo’s stupid face.

But no sound came out.

“Cook,” Zoro called out in a strained voice, exuding with deep shame and regret. “Look, I–fuck. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!” He ran a frustrated hand through his short green hair, clutching his fingers firmly on the strands and shutting his eyes down to keep his emotions at bay.

“You look stupid, Marimo.” Sanji turned his head to Sora. “Thank you, Sora-chan.”

“Sanji-san,” she uttered worriedly.

“I’ll make you guys some midnight snack,” the blond said and turned his back to them. “I will call the crew. We need to talk about this matter.”

“Kick me.”

Sanji turned his head to the side and through his peripheral vision, he saw the swordsman’s balled fists beside him. “No,” he answered.

He didn’t know if Zoro had been faster than the last time or if he was just so _dead_ inside that he didn’t see the movement when Zoro’s hands flipped him around and clutched his arms in a death grip.

“I said kick me, you Curly Bastard,” Zoro hissed.

“No,” Sanji said plainly.

The swordsman gritted his teeth and his hands shook on Sanji’s shoulders. He could handle an angry cook, kicking him around or cursing him to hell with his foul mouth. But seeing him this quiet, so reserved, so fucking _empty_ , made it so difficult for Zoro to deal with him.

He could feel the silent storm and the turmoil inside Sanji’s chest. They were full and reaching up to the brim but the man was containing it until it hurt, making himself like a steel box and withstanding the pressure of all the turbulent emotions inside him.

“I was a stupid fool,” he said as his forehead creased. “I made a fucking terrible mistake and I know that whatever I say right now will just sound like an excuse but…” He paused for a moment, feeling the words linger at the back of his tongue. “But that time, I was thinking about you. I wished that at that moment, it was you.”

Sanji stared blankly at him. His hands went up slowly to grip his hands on his shoulders. He lowered them, dropping the swordsman’s hands, and said, “I don’t care who you fuck. You’re a man. You have needs. Simple as that.”

The blond sounded dead. But the hurtful words echoed loudly inside Zoro’s ears. He scowled and glared at the cook. “You’re missing the point–”

“The point is…” Sanji turned his head to the side, shielding his face away from Zoro through a curtain of soft blond hair. “I don’t want to talk to you right now. I don’t want to say something I’ll regret later on.”

He turned his attention to Chopper and said, “Chopper, can you make Rina-chan and Ranport-san eat the soup? They’re good for their health. Be at the galley in an hour for the meeting.”

Without sparing another glance at Zoro, he turned around and walked outside the infirmary.

The swordsman stood there, rooted on the spot as he felt the pain and the coldness inside his chest. He had fucked things up. But this time, it was for real.

Sanji wouldn’t forgive him anymore. It was over. He had hurt the cook so bad that it made him numb. He was hurting, and Zoro wanted to cut himself for making the cook feel that way.

“Zoro.”

His fists twitched at the sound of that voice – the one which shattered the remaining pillars of his and Sanji’s fragile relationship. “Don’t fucking say my name, woman,” he hissed and the lady recoiled in fear at the wild and demonic look on his face.

“Zoro!” Chopper interrupted. “Don’t scare her!”

He knew it wasn’t her fault. It was _his_. He’d brought this disaster upon himself and he had to spend his whole life repenting for it. He was so mad – so mad at himself. He kept fucking things up with the cook, hurting him again and again, but the kind-hearted fool had always forgiven him. But this time, it was different. The gravity of his mistake outweighed his chance of being forgiven.

Zoro marched his way out of the infirmary and toward Sunny’s lawn. He wanted nothing but to go to the galley, to where his cook was. To bend down on his knees and say sorry again and again, to embrace him, to hold him…

But he couldn’t.

He couldn’t stay by Sanji’s side. He didn’t deserve the cook. They had just been together after all those years and now, he was bound to let go. The thought alone made him ache all over and the sorrow that resulted from it caused his heart to shatter into million pieces.

* * *

 

“I appreciate it but you don’t really have to help, Sora-chan. I’m glad to serve princesses like you,” Sanji said to her with a half-hearted smile.

“It’s okay. I’m happy with what I’m doing,” Sora replied as she peeled the potatoes from the basket.

Sanji knew she was here because she was worried – it was clearly reflected on her face. However, he refrained himself from commenting on that. Somehow, he was glad that she was here. After learning about Zoro’s issue, he suddenly felt so alone. He felt empty like a huge void and he was scared for a moment that nothing could fill in the hollow space anymore.

He felt numb. His eyes were dry and his body felt like fluid. He was chopping some onions but he couldn’t feel the knife in his hand or the board under his palm. His mind was floating elsewhere and he wouldn’t know that he had already scraped a shallow cut on his finger if Sora hadn’t stopped his hand from moving the knife.

“Sanji-san,” she called out to him with concerned eyes. “Please be careful.”

“Sorry.” It was an instinct, a split second of mindless action when he lifted his middle finger toward his mouth. The gesture was achingly familiar that it made him stop. Blood was oozing from the cut and he still remembered the warmth of Zoro’s mouth around his finger.

 _“Helps control the bleeding,”_ he said to him.

He felt something pound inside his chest and he suddenly found himself walking toward the sink, turning the faucet on and putting his injured digit under running water. And as the coldness seeped through the wound, Sanji felt a sharp _sting_ from it. The sensation ran up his arm, down his body, up his neck and face, but the feeling got lodged inside his chest, pooling there and burning brightly, clawing his chest walls and ripping out the vital organ which kept pumping for his life.

Suddenly, he felt so suffocated. He felt something wet travel down his cheeks and before he could stop it, the tears were already flowing in steady streams and he choked out a sob. He braced himself at the edge of the sink but his knees betrayed him.

Sanji felt himself collapse on the floor, putting pressure on his eyes through the heel of his palms to stop the fucking tears from going out. His teeth were bared and choked sobs continued to be reaped out from his lungs.

“Sanji-san.” Sora was kneeling beside her, rubbing his back for comfort. He wanted to open his eyes, but he was afraid that more tears would flow down. These were all the emotions that he should’ve felt earlier. They accumulated inside him like water in a dam and when a crack had finally broken through the wall, they burst altogether and created a flood which drowned his entire being.

Pain. Grief. Betrayal. Hopelessness. Fear. He was feeling all of them at the same time that he could hardly keep himself sane. He loved Zoro so much – _so goddamn much_ – and he was afraid of losing him. He wanted him only to himself. He wanted him to be the father to his son. He wanted to spend his remaining life with him so much that it fucking hurt.

“Sanji?”

Usopp knelt beside Sora and he was shocked to see his nakama in this terrible state. “What the hell happened?”

“Papa?”

Sanji flinched on that voice and he lifted his head up only to be greeted by his son’s worried gaze. Kaitarou knelt in front of him and put his hands on his father’s thighs. “Why is Papa crying?” he asked.

God. Why did his son have to see him like this? Of all people? It was near midnight and his son should be sleeping right now.

“N-No–no-thi-ng,” he said between sobs. He tried to calm himself, but the more he controlled his emotions, the more his chest constricted. His lungs were desperate for air and his throat was burning like fire.

Sora was the one to speak. He told Usopp what happened in the infirmary and his jaw dropped at the news. “What the heck?!” he exclaimed, shocked and horrified. “So it was Zoro? This was his fault? Again? Well, screw him!”

Usopp felt so mad. He had the same affection toward Sanji and Zoro as his nakama, but he had never seen the blond cried so hard like this before. Sanji was firm, as strong and as unshakable as the mast of the Thousand Sunny. And seeing him break down like this cut his heart deeply.

He was going to talk to Zoro. The bravest warrior of the sea knew no fear. He was going to give his nakama a piece of his mind and–

“Kaitarou!” Sora called after the little kid who was running out the galley. But it was too late.

Kaitarou found his feet taking him outside, toward the stairs leading down on the lawn where he’d seen his father a while ago.

Zoro was standing near the railings, with a deep and lost look in his eye, and as he sensed the incoming presence of his son, the swordsman averted his gaze from the vast outstretch of the ocean to him.

Kaitarou’s eyebrows were pulled together, his blue eyes burning a deeper shade of blue, like the deepest part of the ocean, and he hauled himself at his father’s thigh. The swordsman stumbled at the force and he was too shocked to say something.

The other Strawhats all looked toward their direction with widened eyes and confused expressions. Kaitarou groaned and pulled himself back for a second before pushing forcefully against his father again.

“Oi! What the hell’s happening here?” Nami interrupted as she and the others approached them.

“I don’t know!” Zoro exclaimed and he gripped Kaitarou’s shoulders to steady him. “Son. Hey. Hey.” The kid struggled in his hold but when he stopped moving, his angry blue eyes flicked toward his father, and the coldness and the intensity held by that piercing blue gaze cut through Zoro’s soul like a sharp knife.

“Fight me!” the kid shouted and the crew gasped in response.

The swordsman’s jaw fell and the utter shock in his gray eye was insurmountable. The kid braced himself, lowered his stance, and aimed a _kick_ toward his father. Zoro was able to dodge the attack, but the mere fact that that assault came from his _son_ and that the strong Adam wood railing was _cracked_ by a three-year-old kid was too much for him to take in.

Kaitarou turned around holding that same intense glare and he lunged for another kick. He jumped – _fucking jumped_ – and Zoro had to leap away. The kid’s sole connected with Sunny’s lawn – which cracked and rocked the ship a bit along the waves.

For a moment, Zoro saw _him_. It was a brief flash of his image in the current persona of his son – the anger, the raw power, the strength. It was as if Sanji was attacking him right now.

“Son, wait! Stop!” Zoro moved lightning fast behind the kid and he embraced him from behind, trapping his deadly legs inside his own and refraining the kid from initiating another attack.

“I hate Daddy!” Kaitarou shouted. “You made Papa cry! I never saw Papa cry!”

The Strawhats, who were all too taken aback by the unexpected fight, collected themselves again and moved closer toward the struggling kid. “What’s he talking about, Zoro-bro?” Franky asked.

“I hate Daddy!” Kaitarou panted inside his father’s arms and felt a bit of fatigue settle on his small body. He stopped struggling and sniffed as hot tears fell down his cheeks. “Sora-neechan said Daddy has another family,” he said in a tearful voice. “She said Daddy will leave me and Papa.”

“WHAT?!” Nami exclaimed. She shot a disbelieving look at Zoro’s direction. “Zoro, what the fuck?”

“Guys!” Usopp sprinted toward the commotion. He saw how Kaitarou attacked Zoro earlier and he would be honest, he was too shocked to move. His jaw fell down on the ground and his eyes popped out of their sockets. He hadn’t thought that he would see this kid fight like that anytime soon.

Kaitarou was so sweet – a living representation of innocence and adorability. Thus when he saw the kid rampage on Sunny’s lawn like that, his blue eyes burning fiercely as raw, untrained strength rocked a whole damn ship, the words flew out his mouth. The attacks were still messy – unpolished – but held so much power that just a few sessions of training could make this kid a lethal weapon. At that moment, he finally realized that this kid was indeed the son of his two strongest nakama.

“There’s something that you have to know. Come inside the galley,” Usopp said calmly and shifted his eyes toward the swordsman. “You, too, Zoro.”

Zoro breathed in deeply before releasing his son. Once freed, Kaitarou stood up and kicked a few grass toward his father. His hateful and tear-stained eyes bore a hole inside Zoro and he didn’t know what to do under that penetrating gaze.

Kaitarou turned around and ran back to the galley. The swordsman braced a hand on his knee and pulled himself up, dusting off the pieces of grass that landed on his coat.

His chest ached. It was bad enough that the cook would never forgive him, and now, his son had hated him, too. Roronoa  Zoro, the great Pirate Hunter, Demon of East Blue, and the future world’s greatest swordsman, was feeling so helpless.

He’d never felt so shaken like this after Kuina’s death. It took two people to break the strong barriers inside him. Those solid walls of unwavering fortitude and determination now appeared like rubbles at the feet of those two very important people – Sanji and Kaitarou.

He had his ambition, yes, but along the way, he had obtained another goal: _to love and protect them forever._ They were his world, his happiness, his motivation. And without them, Zoro didn’t know how he could move on.

* * *

 

Sora went out of the galley to give the crew some privacy. Sanji had calmed down but he still looked so devastated. She bit her lip as she remembered the wrecked look on the blond’s face, how helpless and broken he was right now.

Sanji was like his older brother. He loved him like her own sibling, thus she couldn’t stand seeing him so hurt like that.

On her way to the infirmary where his father and grandfather were waiting, she saw the infirmary door opened and the lady whom she had been acquainted with earlier emerged from the doorway. They locked eyes for a moment before Sora finally spoke up. “Rina-san! You shouldn’t be out of your bed!”

“Shh.” She silenced the girl with a finger on her lips. “Don’t tell Chopper-san. I’m fine. I just want to feel some fresh air. It’s been so long since I’ve savored a cool night breeze like this,” she said as a small smile tugged the corners of her mouth.

“Are you going somewhere?” she asked.

“I’m actually heading to the infirmary,” Sora answered. “Have you eaten the soup?”

“Yes. It was delicious.” She tucked the strands of her hair behind her ear. “Is it okay for you to join me? I need someone to talk to.”

“Of course,” Sora said. “You’re on a tough spot right now. You must be worried.”

The lady nodded and a defeated look settled on her face. “It’s alright. Zoro and the blond gentleman are together, right? It’s my fault that they’re fighting right now.”

The two of them walked toward the deck, bathing under the bright moon of the night sky. The breeze was cold and Rina tugged the coat closer to her body – the one that Sanji was too considerate to wrap around her when he had rescued her.

The ocean was dark and looked like an endless plain. Sora robbed the itch at the bridge of her nose before saying, “Sanji-san and Zoro-san love each other. And if I have to be honest, their fight really is your fault, Rina-san.” She placed her hands on the railings. “I’m not blaming you or anything.  You’re carrying Zoro-san’s child, so you have a say to this matter. But the two of them just got together after all these years. They’ve loved each other for a long time, been through a lot of obstacles in their relationship, so it’s very disappointing that things turned out this way.”

Rina moved beside her, her eyes looking down at the lapping waves below the deck. “I know. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Sora spoke with a smile. “The crew will think about something. Leave it to them. They’re good people.”

Rina’s lips curved up into a smile but it looked strained. The smile didn’t go up to her eyes and they remained dark and dull like the ocean at night. “I know they are. And so are you.” She turned her head toward the teenager. “You have a Devil Fruit’s ability, right? You can say when a person’s lying or telling the truth?”

“Yes, I do,” Sora confirmed. “I can see people’s memories. However, I need to have a goal – a purpose for exploring a person’s mind. The human brain is more complex than it seems. If I go deeper without any specific goal in mind, I can stumble through voids and timeless dimensions. If I weren’t careful, I could get lost in that person’s memories forever. When I was still learning to control my ability, I almost fell down in a huge void in that person’s mind and I was in a coma for six days.”

Rina’s eyes widened at that. “You mean, your power is a double-edged sword? And you can’t basically see _everything_ in a person’s mind all at once.”

“Yes,” the teenager said and nodded.

And then the next moment happened very fast. Sora’s emerald eyes went wide. The lady was hugging her, tickling her ear with her breaths as she said, “If that’s the case, then what they said was true. You’re dangerous.”

Sora felt a sharp pain erupt on her left abdomen. The lady clutched the fabric of her dress behind her back and whispered, “I’m sorry, Sora-chan. But I can’t afford you to touch me like that again.”

Sora felt herself falling. Down toward the bottomless ocean. Just before her body hit the water, she saw a glint of something sharp in the lady’s hand – a scalpel, stained with blood. _Her_ blood.

Rina watched as Sora’s body hit the water below. She wouldn’t be able to swim back up, if ever the myths about Devil Fruit users were true – that if they were thrown into salt water, they would sink until the very bottom of the ocean.

Pulling out the small den den mushi from the pocket of her dress, she watched as the snail sprung into life. She waited, listening to the quiet rings of the den den mushi in her hands. After a while, a voice spoke from the other end of the line.

“You called me,” a low voice said. “It means you’re already with the Strawhats, am I right?”

“Yes,” Rina replied silently. “I appreciate the glamour that you’ve put into my mind. As you’ve said, there was a person with them who could see people’s memories. She touched me and the glamour wore off. Without it, she could’ve seen the memories that were hidden under it.”

“Was?” the voice asked.

Rina took in a deep breath, her bloodstained hands clasping tighter around the base of the den den mushi as she said, “Yes. _Was._ ”

 

-TBC

* * *

**Character Design for Sora**

**Art by me! :)**

****

**You can also reblog this on[Tumblr](https://lady-elocin.tumblr.com/image/168600000415)! <3**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our Baby Moss is growing up!


	32. Hands

**Chapter 32: Hands**

 

The crew sat silently in the galley. Even the usually boisterous captain had read the tension in the air and just looked wordlessly back and forth between Zoro and Sanji.

Zoro was standing beside the door, as far away as possible from the cook who was leaning against the kitchen counter, holding Kaitarou inside his arms as the kid glared daggers toward the swordsman’s direction.

“Sweetie, stop that,” Sanji whispered to his ear but the kid shook his head.

“No,” Kaitarou said with furrowed curly eyebrows. “Daddy hurt Papa. I won’t forgive him.”

Somehow, even though he was mad at Zoro, a small ache crept through his heart at his kid’s words. He didn’t want their son to hate Zoro, no matter how much he’d hurt him. “Don’t say that,” he said calmly. “Your dad loves you, so don’t hate him.”

“But does Daddy love Papa?” Kaitarou had a searching look in his eyes and Sanji wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. His mouth remained suspended as he rummaged his brain for the right words but none came out.

His eyes shifted to Zoro’s direction and his heart ached once more when he met his gaze. It was deep, longing and remorseful. He never knew that Zoro could look like that, that he could look so broken and lost. His fingers were twitching beside him and Sanji knew for a fact that he was dying to reach out for them – for him and for Kaitarou.

But he couldn’t. They both knew he couldn’t. There was this huge, inevitable gap between them, like a sinkhole which was keeping them apart. 

Zoro saw the cook avert his eyes and drop his gaze on the floor. His heart throbbed at the rejection but he knew that he’d brought this upon himself. He needed to suffer. He had to repent for this sin.

Hence, he dropped his gaze as well, closing his eye briefly as he took in a deep breath. The cook was so near and yet so far. It was as if the best thing in his life was already laid in front of him and yet he couldn’t touch or savor every piece of it.

Sanji was like a wildfire, burning brightly with all that passion and raw power, consuming everything in his path, and Zoro wasn’t an exception.

He fell for his brilliance, for his undying flame, but Zoro was darkness itself. He was afraid that once he reached out for him, he would lose himself and who he was.

But the cook proved him wrong. He entered his world with all that brightness and made Zoro realize that the light and the dark could coexist with one another – like the moon in the night sky.

And now that his “light” was flickering, or perhaps _gone_ , Zoro didn’t know how he could bring back that brilliance in his world ever again.

Usopp saw the pained and fleeting look shared by his nakama and he couldn’t help but feel miserable for the two of them. They were suffering, and they didn’t know how to cope with that feeling. Thus, he was the first one who spoke.

“Guys, we’re all shocked and confused,” he began, “but it’s real. Zoro has... a child with that lady, Rina.”

The Strawhats gasped. Usopp went on to narrate what Sora had told him earlier and after his story, the crew remained silent for a while, absorbing every bit of shocking information that the sharpshooter had said.

Nami pulled her eyebrows together and chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. “Are you sure about her?” She looked at him skeptically.

“Sora said she saw her memory,” the sharpshooter explained, “and that she was telling the truth.”

The navigator folded her arms on the table. “I still doubt about her. I mean, it was too convenient for her to suddenly appear on an island where Ranport-san was held in captivity. It was probably a scheme by the enemies.”

“I agree with Nami,” Robin added. “Even if he really did sleep with her – which was a very foolish act coming from you Swordsman-san–” she flicked her eyes toward Zoro and he squirmed slightly under that penetrating gaze, “–I doubt that she’s telling the whole truth, or not hiding something. She’s probably a pawn used by the higher-ups who want to take Cook-san in their custody.”

“I’ve already thought about it, Nami-san, Robin-chan.” The ladies’ gaze fell on the cook whose red-rimmed eyes were now looking tiredly at them. “She may be a pawn, a hooker, a criminal, or another pirate. But that doesn’t change the fact that she _is_ carrying Zoro’s child.”

Silence fell inside the galley once again and Nami sighed, letting her hand fall on the table in defeat before turning her head toward the direction of the man in question. “Well, Zoro,” she started with a raised eyebrow, “what can you say about this terrible mess?”

The swordsman swallowed and clenched his jaws. He knew that Nami was provoking him, daring him to admit how it was his goddamn fault to make him feel more miserable. But who was he to complain? It really was _his_ fault in the first place.

“I’m sorry.” That was all he could say because that was all there was to it anyway. He was sorry and he was regretting every goddamn piece of it in every goddamn second of his goddamn life.

It was shocking, but not unexpected. The crew knew what Zoro would say, but actually hearing an apology from _Roronoa Zoro_ was a bit unbelievable. Nami closed her eyes and massaged the spot above her right eyebrow. She swore that she could feel a headache coming.

“What do we do now, Captain?” she asked.

Luffy sat on his seat quietly, his arms folded above his chest as a deep look dawned on his face. His eyes shifted to his nakama standing by the counter and said, “I will let Sanji decide.”

The crew agreed on that decision. If there was someone who could put closure to this matter, then it was their ship’s cook. Sanji put his son down and he let Usopp gripped the kid’s wrist to guide him between his thighs.

The blond shoved his hands inside his pockets, feeling the rigid outline of the cigarette pack against his fingers, as his nakama all stared at him, waiting patiently for his decision.

Sanji chewed his cheek thoughtfully for a moment before lifting his gaze to the crew. “Rina-chan stays on the ship until she delivers the child safely,” he said. “And Zoro will have to look after her.”

“Huh?” The swordsman took a few steps closer to him. “What the hell are you talking about, Cook?”

“Ah, come on, Kaitarou. Let’s play outside.” Usopp nervously ushered the kid toward the door, ducking his head anxiously as he excused himself from the presence of his two nakama. The kid tried to resist but the sharpshooter managed to distract him by saying that he would let him see his new inventions in his factory downstairs.

As the door closed behind them, Sanji cocked his head to the side and shot a glare toward Zoro. “What are you implying, huh, Mossbrain?” he asked. “That you won’t take care of the woman who is carrying _your_ child?”

“That’s not it,” Zoro explained. “I mean, Chopper is here. He can take care of her–”

“SCREW THAT BULLSHIT!” Sanji was seething. His fists were now tightly balled beside him and his eyes were burning with such fury that could make the wildest animal recoil in fear.

Zoro swallowed at his outrage and he desperately tried to save any piece left of his relationship with Sanji.  “Cook, listen–”

“No, Zoro, _you_ fucking listen,” Sanji said with a jab of his finger. “I know how hard it was to not have you by my side when I was carrying Kaitarou. I chose to leave, yes, but it didn’t change the fact that miles away from you was fucking terrible. She needs you by her side now more than ever, Zoro. She needs your _support_.”

“Okay. Guys–”

“Nami.” Luffy stretched an arm in front of her to stop her from interrupting their nakama’s conversation. “Let them talk. Or fight. Whatever. Let them take it all out.”

The navigator was skeptical about it, because aside from her, Franky wouldn’t appreciate if the ship got damaged when a fight broke out from these two men. However, the captain had already decided. She grudgingly let herself fall back on her seat again and kept a worried look on her nakama, silently praying that the situation wouldn’t get out of hand.

“So you’re letting someone take me away, huh, Cook?” There was an edge in Zoro’s voice. Something similar to a strain and the swordsman wasn’t about to cry in front of the damn cook. Clenching his hands into tight fists and completely forgetting that the crew was watching them, he further said, “Is that really all how much you felt about me?”

Sanji’s airway constricted as a sharp pain stabbed through his chest. “No. No, that’s not it,” he said as he shook his head and let a hand ran down his face in frustration. “You don’t understand.”

“Then help me to!” Zoro closed in the gap between them and he gripped the cook’s shoulders tightly. “Help me understand why you want me to be with her.”

“I–” Sanji’s eyelids fluttered for a moment before he sighed and closed his eyes, turning his head away from Zoro’s seeking gaze. “I... because... she’s a _woman._ ”

Zoro’s eyebrow twitched at that reason. “Cut that crap, Cook. I don’t care if she’s a woman, or another man. I don’t want to be with her. I want to be with _you._ ”

The back of Sanji’s eyes burn and he pressed the heels of his palms on them before the traitorous tears started to fall again. “You have a responsibility to her,” he explained. “I can take care of myself. But she _can’t_ , that’s why she needs you.”

“Cook, no, look at me.” Zoro’s hands gripped his wrists and pulled his hands down from his face. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw the tears pooling on his lover’s blue eyes and he wanted nothing but to kiss them away.

“Yes, I have a responsibility to her. I won’t run away from that,” he explained. “But I _don’t_ want to be with her. I’ll support her, as well as the child inside her womb, but she’s not the one whom I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Zoro gripped Sanji’s hands and kissed his fingers gently – _pleadingly_. He pressed his forehead against his hands and said, “ _Please_ , Cook. Let me be with you.”

Brook, Franky and Chopper were all crying quietly, biting down on their lips to stifle the mournful sobs emanating from deep within their hearts. Nami was teary-eyed and she let her forehead thump on Robin’s shoulder as the archeologist laid a comforting hand her arm. Luffy had his straw hat pulled down. He wasn’t crying but he could clearly feel the sharp _ache_ inside his chest – the pain which Sanji and Zoro was feeling right now. And as the captain of the ship, as a _nakama,_ he shared the same pain with everyone else in the crew.

Sanji bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as a tear fell from his left eye. He let out a sigh and said, “Zoro, don’t do that. Lift up your head.”

“No,” the swordsman said as he shook his head. “I don’t want to.”

“Zoro, please, just–” Sanji let out another shaky breath and let his fingers curl on the swordsman’s hands tightly. “Don’t do this.”

He knew how big Zoro’s pride was and seeing him bow at him like this, willingly submitting to his weakness, pained the blond in more ways than one. He didn’t want to see Zoro so helpless like this. It was hurting him as much as it was hurting Zoro.

“I don’t want to stay away, Cook.” The swordsman’s hands trembled in his grip. “Please don’t push me away.”

Sanji sucked in a breath. He’d never seen or heard the man plea for something before, least of all to him. And even though he couldn’t see it, judging from the silence which hung thickly around the galley, he knew for a fact that his crew was mirroring his reaction right now.

With his heart beating painfully loud inside his chest, Sanji pulled his hands away from Zoro’s grip and saw the man’s eye flew wide open at that. But before he could say anything, Sanji took a step closer and wrapped his arms around his neck, burying his face on the swordsman’s hair and feeling his entire body sing at the much-wanted contact.

He’d wanted to touch Zoro so bad and now that he was actually doing it, he wasn’t about to let go. “Zoro, you idiot,” he said as tears fell from his eyes. “Don’t lower your head in front of me ever again.”

The swordsman stood frozen for a moment, overwhelmed by the sudden heat and pressure of the cook’s skin, but after he regained his senses, his arms automatically wrapped around his lover’s waist. He let his head fall on his shoulders as he embraced him tightly, so desperately like his life depended on it, and so goddamn afraid that if he ever loosened his hold, then the cook would slip away from him forever.

“I don’t want to lose you, Cook.” His voice was silent and muffled on Sanji’s shirt, but he heard him clearly – so fucking clearly that his words went straight to his heart and tugged at its strings painfully.

Sanji tightened his arms around his neck. “That’s not an excuse, Shitty Swordsman. Don’t do that again.”

“If I have to kneel down in front of you just so you will forgive me, then I will. Just…” Zoro turned his head to the side with furrowed eyebrows and pressed his lips on the cook’s neck, beseeching forgiveness, asking for another chance. “Just don’t push me away. I can’t stand it.”

It was too much. It was all too much for Sanji. His emotions were all brewing brightly inside him and he thought for a moment that he would explode. Zoro was messing him up and he no longer knew what to do with himself anymore.

“Zoro, let’s talk about this another time. We’re all tired. We need to rest,” he murmured to his ear.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” There was hope in the swordsman’s voice. He wanted to be close to Sanji, to just lay down beside him and hold him inside his arms, to feel the peaceful rise and fall of his chest in his sleep and to kiss him awake in the morning.

That was all he wanted: the closeness, and Sanji’s presence.

The blond felt a shiver ran down his spine and his fingers clutched at the fabric of Zoro’s coat. “Okay,” he whispered.

And as Sanji was about to let go, the whole ship rocked wildly on the waves, causing his feet to lose their balance. Both men gripped on the kitchen counter as the other Straw Hats were thrown off their seats and braced themselves against the wall.

“What the hell’s happening?” Nami exclaimed.

Then in a blink of an eye, Sanji’s haki awoke and he flicked his eyes toward the swordsman. “Zoro.”

“I know,” he said and turned his head toward their captain. “Luffy.”

The captain nodded. “Let’s go.”

The three of them ran out of the galley as the other Straw Hats followed them. Sanji heard a high shrill from the deck and he saw large tentacles rising up in the night sky like vines around the ship.

“A sea king?!” Chopper shouted.

Rina and Kaitarou were standing behind Usopp who was aiming his kabuto not on the giant creature but toward the figure of a _man_ standing on top of Sunny’s railings. He saw Zoro unsheathe his swords and ran toward them but Sanji couldn’t move.

Wide-eyed, he stared at the familiar man whom he saw right before he lost consciousness in Bartero Island. He had this huge candy with him and his blood ran cold when his eyes shifted to his direction.

It was his captor, and by the sickening smile on his lips, Sanji knew that he was here for him.

The sea king shook the ship once again and Sanji had to grip on the railings to steady himself. His haki alerted him and he saw the shadow of a ship emerge beside the Sunny.

Luffy punched the tentacle clinging on the main mast and the sea king growled like thunder beneath them. With furrowed eyebrows, the captain shouted, “Defend the Sunny!”

“Aye!” the Straw Hats shouted and the fight broke out.

Sanji felt his anger boil inside him as his right leg burst into wild flames. He jumped down the lawn, his burning hatred fueling his fast sprint toward his captor, and he swore to himself that he wouldn’t let the bastard get away without a bashed skull and several broken bones. 

-TBC

 

* * *

 

**_Art by me._**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a bit short. Cause I'm building up the momentum for the next chapter.
> 
> You can check out my Christmas ZoSan fanfic **["Winter's Wish"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13189011)** for the meantime. :)


	33. Wildfire

**Chapter 33: Wildfire**

The infirmary door banged open and Nami came in rushing, holding her Clima Tact tightly in both hands. “Vallo-san! Ranport-san!” she called out to the two men, “we’re under attack! You have to stay here.”

“What?” Vallo stood up from the edge of the bed. “Wait, where’s Sora?”

“I’m going to find her. Just stay here,” Nami said and immediately turned around, shutting the door behind her, and running down the stairs to fight alongside the crew.

Her eyes wandered around the ship, searching for those familiar curls of ebony hair but she was nowhere in sight. And before she could continue searching for the young lady, the sea king’s tentacle was looming over her, threatening to stomp her down, but instead of running away like she always did before, she took a firm stance on the upper deck and readied her baton.

“I’m getting grilled octopus tonight,” she said with a smirk.

* * *

 

“What the hell’s happening here?!” Zoro stood side by side with Usopp, baring his three katanas to the enemy in front of them.

“I don’t know!” the sharpshooter answered as he aimed his kabuto to the man. “I just saw Rina standing on deck and when I was about to talk to her, the sea king suddenly appeared as well as _that_ man!”

Turning his head around, the swordsman looked at the lady then down to her arms protectively embracing the child inside her womb. “Are you hurt?” he asked.

Rina’s dark eyes widened for a second, seemingly shocked that Zoro had actually asked if she was all right. “I’m–I’m fine,” she stammered out.

“Daddy!” The swordsman’s eye shifted to his son. With clenched fists, he said, “Let me fight!”

“Son, no,” Zoro explained to him. “Stay behind me.”

“No!” Kaitarou gripped the back of Zoro’s coat and furrowed his eyebrows at his father. “He’s the _Candyman!_ ”

The swordsman’s eye widened and he almost dropped Wado between his teeth. “What?” he said, surprised. However, that fleeting moment was immediately replaced by anger. His eye flashed a deeper shade of grey and he glared at the man standing atop Sunny’s railings.

His hands clutched tighter around his katanas and his animal instinct was telling him to kill that man – that bastard who hypnotized his son in Bartero Island.

But before he could make a step, a swift flash of radiance came across his vision like a bullet. The glow connected with the candy cane of the enemy, the powerful impact tilting his balance and making him jump down the lawn to regain his footing.

Sanji flipped in the air and landed in front of Zoro. “This bastard’s mine,” he snarled. Through the uptight set of his shoulders and his trembling fists beside him, Zoro knew that the cook was furious.

“Cook, d’you know him?” he asked.

“He’s the bastard who captured me,” the blond hissed.

Zoro’s teeth on Wado gritted harder. So this was also the same man who put the cook into that shameful situation in the auction house. This scoundrel in front of him was the one who was constantly messing up with the cook’s life.

Sanji felt the shift of aura behind him and he whipped his head around. Zoro’s grey eye was sharp and dark – _feral_ – and it was clearly conveying the swordsman’s intent: to _kill_ the man _._

“I said this bastard’s mine, Shitty Marimo,” Sanji said irritably.

_“Blackleg.”_

Sanji jolted. Turning his head around, he glared at the enemy in sullen anger as if he was boring holes on his body. He clenched his teeth and faced his opponent fully, tapping his burning leg on the lawn and getting ready for another attack. “I’m going to break every bone in your body, Shithead,” he said threateningly.

The man smirked and licked the candy cane. “My boss wants to talk to you.”

“Well, you can tell your boss to shut the fuck up!” Sanji lunged for him, his leg burning brightly with wild flames, and he aimed a kick to the man’s head. “What the–”

The enemy smiled wickedly as a helmet made out of _candy_ protected his head from Sanji’s attack. “ _Candy Wave_.”

A large wave came out from his hand like molten lava. Sanji was a second too late before he realized that the attack wasn’t aimed at him. “ZORO!” he shouted.

The syrupy candy towered over them, but the swordsman was already in his fighting stance. _“Santoryu: 108 Pound Cannon!”_ The wave was cut into half, and he smirked in satisfaction.

Sanji sighed in relief and bent backwards on his hands, spinning around and aiming a powerful kick to the man’s side but the rascal was able to block it with his cane.

“Got you.” The opponent smirked.

The blond’s heart pounded inside his chest at that mysterious smile and before he could turn away, he saw from the corner of his eye how the top portion of the wave continued to lap over the swordsman and the others.

“Shit!” Zoro cursed as the thick mixture pooled around his legs, trapping him.

“What the heck is this?!” Usopp shouted as the candy thickened around his shoulders and upper arms, causing him to drop his weapon on the lawn.

“Daddy!”

Zoro and Sanji’s heads whipped faster than a heartbeat. Kaitarou’s feet were trapped but there was a different coating of the thick material that was crawling around his body.

“No!” Rina screamed as the same mixture encircled around her. “Please! No–”

She _froze_. As well as Kaitarou.

They were like statues, glistening under the moonlight with that thick coating completely wrapped around them.

“ _Candy Man,_ ” the opponent said, smirking.

“NO!” Zoro tried to cut the candy around his lower limbs with his swords, but the mixture was strong as steel. “Fuck!” He flipped his body around so fast that he’d lost his balance, his katanas dropping from his grip. His right hand instinctively propped underneath him as his left desperately reached for the little kid. “No! Fuck! Son! No!”

“YOU ASSHOLE!” Sanji kicked the Candyman with his leg, his anger igniting the ferocity in his eyes. “RELEASE MY SON!”

The man laughed and the whole ship shook as the tentacles gripped the sides of the Sunny. Sanji somersaulted backwards in midair and tried to aim a kick to his head again but he halted when the man flipped up three fingers at him.

“In three minutes,” Candyman said, “that candy will slowly seep into their body. Completely filling their insides and stopping their breathing. And you know what will happen next.”

Sanji’s face paled and his blood ran cold at that implication. “You can’t cut him out of it,” the man further said. “That candy is sticking to his skin like glue, so you will have to cut him together with it.”

“SANJI!”

Luffy was running toward them and for a brief moment, Sanji felt a flash of relief in his system.

“ _Candy Wall.”_

Four giant walls sprouted around them, growing high up in the night sky like endless roads. “Shit!” Luffy banged his fists against the candy. “Sanji! Zoro!”

The blond bit his lower lip hard as his fists shook beside him. “You fucker,” he growled under his breath. He swallowed, feeling his heartbeat thump loudly inside his chest. “What do you want?”

“Now we’re talking,” the man said with a devious grin.

“Cook! No!” Zoro shouted as he continued to struggle with his feet.

The man approached Sanji, leaning in to whisper something in his ear and the swordsman saw how his eyes widened, how his teeth bared to whatever bullshit that man had said to him.

“You–you bastards,” the blond growled.

“Do we have an accord?” Candyman said, smirking.

“Cook, don’t listen to him!” the swordsman yelled at him and he heard Usopp shout his name as well.

Sanji gripped the fabric over his chest and he shut his eyes tightly. “Your time’s running out, Blackleg,” he heard the man say.

Zoro and Usopp were shouting something at him but he couldn’t hear a single thing. His mind was on his son, on the child inside Rina’s womb... and on _Zeff._

“Cook! Just–” Zoro was cut off by a loud crash. The candy wall to his right cracked as Luffy’s flaming fist punched through the steel-like mixture.

“ _Red Hawk!”_ the captain cried.

The enemy tutted and flicked his angry eyes toward Sanji. “What will it be, Blackleg?”

His nails were digging painfully on his palms, but Sanji could only think about one thing.

“Get away from my nakama!” Luffy shouted and stretched his right arm. _“Gomu Gomu no: Rifle!”_ The attack was fast, spinning and piercing through the air like a bullet, and for a moment, Luffy was sure that he would hit the opponent. However, his fist connected instead with something _hard_ and _scalding._  

“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!” Luffy staggered back and fell on his rear, blowing on his inflamed fist like a five-year-old kid.

Zoro’s lips parted as he watched the cook lower his burning leg. His lips were set into a thin line and his brows were furrowed, eyes glowering darkly at the fallen state of his captain.

“What the fuck?” the swordsman muttered disbelievingly, not only because of his mutinous act but also due to the fact that his flames had broken through Luffy’s haki.

“Sanji?” the captain said in confusion.

The blond shoved his hands inside his pockets and stared directly at Luffy. “I’m going with him.”

“WHAT?” A crease appeared between Zoro’s eyebrows. “Stop fucking around, Cook!”

Sanji ignored him and turned his head to the side. “Take that shit off them,” he uttered. “I’ll go with you. You have my word.”

Amusement lit up the Candyman’s eyes and he waved his hand to release Kaitarou and Rina from his power. The coating wrapping around their body melted as well as the thickened candy around their feet, causing them to collapse on the lawn.

“Son!” Zoro tried to reach for the kid but his fucking legs were restraining him and it was starting to really piss him off.

“Rina!” Usopp cried. The lady was _pregnant_ , and even though he had limited knowledge on that area, he knew that a pregnant woman shouldn’t fall like _that_.

Sanji’s eyebrows twitched when he heard a _thump_ as their bodies fell on the lawn. However, he turned around to shut everything, fooling himself that nothing happened before it changed his decision.

“Let’s get out of here.”

The man smirked and pointed his palm toward the sea. “ _Candy Sea Slug._ ”

A large blob of candy came out from his hand, creating a hole in the wall and dropping down toward the sea.  After a while, a giant creature with two tentacles on its head and resembling a sea slug emerged beside the Thousand Sunny.

There was a ship on its back, and Sanji remembered seeing that vessel a while ago. “It’s faster this way,” Candyman said.

“Sanji! You can’t go with him!” Luffy shouted.

“Take them to Chopper.” That was the only word the blond said before he jumped through the hole. And before the man followed him, he flashed a cunning smirk to Zoro, earning him a deep growl from him.

“Luffy!” Usopp called him. “Take Rina and Kaitarou to Chopper right now!”

“Okay!” The captain ran toward the fallen bodies and carefully lifted them up in both arms. “Chopper!”

The whole ship lapped on the waves and Luffy had to stumble back a few steps to steady himself. “Whoa! What’s that?”

Zoro saw how the tentacles of the sea king withdrew from the Sunny, returning back to the deep ocean underneath them, and he cursed under his breath when the sea slug started to move along the water. “Shit!” Zoro bent down and collected his swords. He held Kitetsu and Shusui in both hands and closed his eye, feeling the rush and familiar hum of power in their blades.

“Zoro, what are you doing?” Usopp asked, wide-eyed.

“I’m going to cut my leg.”

“WHAT?!” The sharpshooter tried to flail his arms to his nakama, desperate to stop him from doing such a rash action, but the candy wrapped around his shoulders failed him to do so. “Are you out of your mind?!”

Zoro opened his eye and glared at him. “I have no choice!” he yelled. “The cook’s getting away and if I have to crawl over the goddamn ocean to get his ass back then I fucking will!”

The swordsman raised his katanas, determination written all over his face and in a matter of seconds, the sharp blades would pierce through his flesh, through his bones, severing his arteries and rendering him disabled.

“Wait, Zoro!”

But the swordsman wouldn’t listen to his cries. The deadly edges of his swords were swinging down in slow motion in front of Usopp, the blades glinting under the moonlight, slowly approaching the swordsman’s thighs… and his mouth fell open.

Usopp screamed.

“I HAVE AN IDEA!”

The blades halted – a hair’s breadth away from Zoro’s thighs and Usopp thought that his heart would drop. As sweat glided down his neck, he saw the swordsman’s eye flicked to his direction, sharp and penetrating, that he thought for a moment if fainting would be a good option right now.

“What is it?” Zoro rumbled.

The sharpshooter blinked. “A-Ah! Yeah! Yeah! Right… Well…” Regaining his composure, he rummaged through his sling bag as much as his restraints would allow, pulling out two shells which were very much familiar in Zoro’s memory.

He cocked an eyebrow. “You still have those?”

“Yeah,” the long-nose answered as he aimed the flame dials at his shoulders. “Luffy managed to break through that candy wall with his Red Hawk, so my guess is that _fire_ can melt this candy wrapped around us.”

Usopp pressed the button and flame burst through the shells, and as predicted, the candy around his shoulders started to melt, sliding down his upper arms like molten wax and once freed, he immediately aimed the dials to Zoro’s legs.

“Hold still,” he said and pressed the dials again.

After the liquefied candy pooled around his ankles, Zoro immediately retrieved his katanas, sheathing them securely in their saya and sprinted across the lawn. Gripping tightly on Sunny’s railings, he craned his neck to search for the giant sea slug.

His heart sank when the creature already appeared as a small blob of shadow in the horizon. “Fuck!” His fist slammed down on the railings and the wood cracked beneath his hand. Running his hands frustratingly through his hair, Zoro paced back and forth, swearing, his breath coming out in harsh pants, as his heart thundered inside his chest.

He flipped around and sought for their shipwright. “Franky!”

“Ow! What is it, Zoro-bro?” Franky asked.

“Prepare for Coup de Burst,” the swordsman said, “we’re going after the cook.”

“I’m afraid we can’t,” the shipwright stated as his metal shoulders sagged. “There’s been a haywire in the control room downstairs and I’m on my way to check it out. The sea king probably–”

“I DON’T CARE!” The swordsman clutched his nakama’s shirt tightly. “GET THIS FUCKING SHIP RUNNING RIGHT NOW!”

“Zoro! Stop that!” Nami gripped his arm and tried to pull him away from Franky.

“That’s not cool, Zoro-bro!” The shipwright clutched his wrists, yanking his fists away from his shirt.

“WE’RE MISSING THE COOK!” Zoro shouted at Franky’s face as he shook the cyborg like a leaf. “IF WE DON’T FUCKING MOVE RIGHT NOW–”

Hands appeared around the swordsman’s shoulders like budding flowers, encircling around his torso and Zoro found himself forcefully yanked down on the lawn. He cursed when the wind got knocked out of his lungs and then he heard light footsteps approaching him.

“That’s enough, Swordsman-san,” Robin said with arms crossed above her chest, summoning her Devil Fruit ability to restrain the swordsman. “You may want to check on your son in the infirmary. He seems to be unconscious.”

The archeologist saw his nakama’s eye go wide. Seeing that he would no longer put any kind of resistance, she released him from her hold and the swordsman immediately scrambled on his feet and sprinted toward the sickbay.

Zoro was _anxious_ , especially when he slammed the door of the infirmary open and saw the out cold body of his son lying on one of the white-covered beds. Chopper had the diaphragm of his stethoscope over the little kid’s chest, his eyebrows pulled together tightly as he listened to his patient’s breathings.

Dr. Ranport was helping him. He was taking Rina’s radial pulse when Vallo whispered something to his ear and excused himself out of the infirmary.

“Son.” The swordsman knelt down beside Kaitarou’s bed, holding his hand inside his own and looking at the kid’s pale face with furrowed eyebrows and a worried eye.

“His breathing is a bit weak,” Chopper said. “I need to inject a bronchodilator drug to him. His pulmonary vessels seem slightly constricted.” The little doctor jumped from the bed and immediately retrieved a syringe and a bottle of drug from his shelf.

Zoro watched closely as the needle inserted into his son’s arm, wondering for a moment if the kid had felt it or if the puncture had hurt him.

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Chopper smiled at Zoro and said, “He’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

The swordsman swallowed and nodded. “Thank you, Chopper.”

The little doctor blushed at his nakama’s grateful words and he fidgeted shyly on his hooves. “Well, Rina seems to be fine as well. I mean, if you only want to know.”

Shifting his gaze to the woman lying unconscious on the other bed, Zoro breathed in deeply as his eye lingered on the visible bump on her abdomen. She saw her fall a while ago and even though he didn’t really care about her, he was still concerned about the small life growing inside her. “Is the baby okay?” he asked silently.

“Um, yes. The baby’s fine.” Chopper turned around to help attend to the woman’s medical needs.

The swordsman glanced back to his son. He looked better. His chest was rising and falling more steadily unlike earlier.

Zoro released a heavy sigh and pressed his son’s tiny hand to his lips, hoping that the kid would be all right and out of the bed soon. He was too focused on getting Sanji back that he’d forgotten about his son’s condition. That wasn’t how it should be. The cook wouldn’t approve of that as well. Thus, closing his eye, he muttered, “I’m sorry.”

He remembered that moment when the candy coated his son’s body, his fearful cries, his struggle and then everything just _stopped._ He could still clearly feel the horror which engulfed his heart when he saw him standing there like a statue, _unmoving_ and _dead_ to the world.

He was so horrified that he was only able to call out and reach frantically for him, hoping that it wasn’t real, that his son was still okay, that he could get him out of that fucking candy that was slowly killing him.

And for the first time, a vision came across his mind – a life where everything was peaceful, no pirates, no marines and no bloody wars. Just him, Sanji and Kaitarou, living in a small house near the coast in East Blue, or in an island near the Baratie, or somewhere around the perimeter of his old dojo. It didn’t matter… as long as they were together.

He hadn’t imagined himself settling down, least of all with a lover and a child. He’d always thought that he would be a rover after he and his nakama all achieved their dreams, wandering around the world with Luffy to challenge other swordsmen, to defend his title of being the greatest, to push beyond his limits to be as strong as he could be and to die in the hands of the rightful man who would soon claim his throne.

That was what he had envisioned… until Sanji came in to the picture and destroyed all of it.

He’d brought their son with him, and Zoro didn’t know if he’d ever been so happy. Sanji and Kaitarou had given him another purpose – another dream. Another reason to live. A newfound hope to aspire for a calm and peaceful life.

Zoro closed his eye and placed another gentle kiss on his son’s hand, feeling the warmth and softness of the kid’s small fingers inside his palms. “I’m sorry,” he whispered once again, “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect both of you.”

* * *

 

Sanji gritted the filter of his cigarette anxiously.

He was goddamn worried about his son. He saw him fell, but the kid seemed to be unconscious. Was he okay? Would Chopper be able to treat him?

“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath as his fingers ran through his hair in worry and frustration.

“Your son will be fine.”

Sanji dropped his hands and glared at the direction of that voice. “If something bad happens to my son, I swear to God I’ll fucking kill every goddamn people in your fucking group and I will break all of your bones slowly that you will feel every agonizing second of it.”

The man just laughed and licked the candy cane in his hand. “You’ve got big words there, Blackleg. I made sure that the candy would coat their lungs last so you don’t have to worry.”

Closing his eyes, Sanji tried to keep his anger in control. He wasn’t here to fight. He was here to talk to this bastard’s _boss_ and ask him what the hell he wanted from him. He was here to put closure to this mess once and for all.

“Take me to your shitty boss,” the blond said as calmly as he could.

Candyman’s eyes lit up with amusement and he turned around, toward the ship which was being carried by a giant sea slug made out of fucking candy. “Well,” the man said, “right this way.”

* * *

 

“Captain! Captain!”

Bepo ran toward his captain as their submarine shook inside the grip of a giant sea king. The creature was half-octopus and half-seahorse, and they were all taken by surprise when it suddenly appeared in front of their ship.

“Captain! Are we going to die?” the white bear cried.

“No,” Law said seriously and grabbed the den den mushi in the control room. Tapping his foot on the metal floor, he waited as the transponder snail tried to connect to the receiver’s line. “Come on, Mugiwara-ya. Pick up.”

Another tremor occurred, knocking some of his crew down on the floor and causing the den den mushi to slip from his hands.

“Captain!” Ikkaku called to him.

“What?”

“Look!” the female said and pointed toward the huge circular window.

Law saw figures of fish – no, of _men_ – in front of them. They were carrying weapons and if it weren’t weird enough, one of them was looking at him directly in the eyes as if studying him. After a while, he said something to his companions and the men kicked their legs, spreading out and swimming so fast under the high pressure of the ocean.

“Um, Captain?” Bepo stood close to Law and said nervously, “Is having the merfolks here a good thing or a bad thing?”

* * *

 

Her eyes fluttered open.

She felt the sway of the ship beneath her, but something was wrong. She tried to steady her gaze in front of her, slowly blinking the haziness away, and found that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. Her clothes were sticking to her skin and her hair was damp and disheveled.

Struggling to prop an arm under her, she sucked in a breath as she felt a sharp pain course through the left side of her abdomen. Her hands instinctively fled to the source of pain and her head thumped on the wooden floor.

Cracking an eye open, she saw _blood_ staining the fabric of her dress. Then the memory came back to her vividly.

She remembered standing with Rina on Sunny’s deck, having a conversation, being hugged by her and then there was the pain. She recalled falling into the ocean and seeing the glint of a scalpel’s blade inside the hand of that woman.

 _She stabbed me_ , she thought.

She tried to feel the wound through the fabric, but instead, the pad of her fingers met with the rough woven threads of a patch – a gauze. Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked around once again.

She seemed to be in the brig of another ship. Iron bars were around her and there was a small porthole attached on the wall behind her.

_“Are you okay?”_

She jolted and her head whipped around toward the direction of that voice. In the prison cell beside hers, she saw a man sitting and leaning against the wall, cradling his knees inside his arms. He had lavender hair and even under the dim illumination of the room, she could still see the blueness of the irises of his eyes.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m Rey,” the man answered without hesitation. “You?”

She hesitated, and the man noticed it. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me,” she heard him say. “A merman suddenly came in an hour ago and he had you inside his arms. He treated your wound first before locking you up in that cell. I’m just worried about you.”

“A merman?” she asked in confusion. “Why would a merman be with me?”

The man shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe, you fell into the ocean and he saved you?”

“Yes, I remembered falling, but–” She cut herself off. It was just so confusing. Why would a merman save her? Where did he come from?

“This ship is run by mermen,” the man explained. “I heard them talking before and they seemed to be under the flag of a pirate crew. So, yeah, you can say that we’re so unlucky to be in the hands of filthy pirates.”

She watched him laugh humorlessly. And after a moment, she tried to place her elbow underneath her again, ignoring the pain on her left side as she pushed herself into a sitting position. She let out a shaky sigh and asked, “How long have you been here, Rey-san?”

Shrugging, the man said, “I don’t know. Maybe a few months? Sorry, I lost count.”

“Pardon me for asking, but why are you here?”

“That’s the exact question I’ve been asking myself since I got here.” The man chuckled and shook his head. “I owed someone a lot of money, but I was managing. I mean, I was paying him back but then the interest got unreasonably high and then people just burst into my home and hauled me here. My partner must be so worried right now.”

Nodding empathetically, she said, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s fine,” the man said with a smile. “I know someone will come and get me out of this hell one day.”

She felt her lips stretch a little at that. “My name is Sora.”

Rey’s blue eyes went bigger in surprise. “So you trust me now?”

“Not yet,” she admitted. “But I think you’re not a bad person.”

The man laughed and crawled over the bars separating the two of them. “Where are you from, Sora?”

“Banaru Island,” she answered as she dragged herself closer to him. “You?”

_“Spring Island.”_

Sora’s breath caught in her throat. She remembered Sanji mentioning to her about that island, when he was explaining to her about the mess the swordsman had gotten himself into. With her heart starting to beat rapidly inside her chest, she managed to ask, “Rey-san… do you know a woman named ‘Rina’?”

The man’s lips parted and his eyes widened at her in shock. “R-Rina…” He scrambled closer and gripped the bars in front of him. “You know Rina?”

“Yes.” Sora swallowed. “You know her?”

She saw how his face fell, how his expression changed from shock into something equivalent to deep pain and longing. “Yes. Yes, I know her,” the man said in a strained voice.

Tears accumulated in Rey’s blue eyes and looking up to her, he said, “I’m her lover.”

Sora didn’t know how to respond. All she knew was that she was gaping at him, utterly surprised and at a loss for words. However, she didn’t know what shocked her more: learning that the man in front of him was indeed Rina’s lover, or hearing his next words which undoubtedly blew her mentality away.

“Is she okay?” Rey asked further with creased eyebrows. “Is our child okay?”

 -TBC


	34. The Culprit

**Chapter 34: The Culprit**

Zoro heard muffled shouts outside the infirmary. Dropping his son’s hand gently on the bed, he stood up and opened the door. When he looked outside, that was when he saw the commotion and the frantic expression on Vallo’s face.

He was shouting at Nami, his hands gripping tightly on her shoulders as he shook her desperately. “You told me you’d find her!” he cried as tears accumulated on his emerald eyes. “How come she’s not here on the ship?!”

“Vallo-san, calm down,” the navigator explained as Franky and Usopp lingered close behind him, offering assistance if ever things got out of hand. “I’ve searched the entire ship for her but I couldn’t find her anywhere. Believe me. I’m just as worried as you are.”

Breathing harshly, Vallo withdrew his hands from her and instead found their way to his hair, fingers tugging hopelessly on brown locks as his eyes shut tightly. “Oh my god. Sora. No. My daughter. She can’t… she can’t…”

“I believe in her. She’s a strong girl,” Nami said with furrowed eyebrows. “If ever the enemies had captured her, then the crew would do anything to save her.”

A choked sob escaped from Vallo’s lips and his knees collapsed on the lawn, head bowing down on the grass as his fists clenched tightly beside his head. “Please,” he begged, “please find my daughter.”

Nami’s chest ached. The sight of a father pleading desperately for her daughter’s life to be saved cut deeply through her heart. For a moment, she saw a flash of Bellemere’s face in her memory. She knew that she would undoubtedly do the same for her and Nojiko. Even if the woman had a high sense of pride, she would lower her head like this just to save her and her sister’s lives.

With the back of her eyes burning with unshed tears, Nami knelt down in front of Vallo and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Please raise your head,” she said. “I promise we’ll find her no matter what.”

Lifting up his head, Vallo looked at her with despairing, tear-filled eyes. “Thank you,” he said hoarsely. “Please. Please find her.”

* * *

 

The sun was already peeking over the horizon when everything died down. Everyone on the Sunny felt so tired. It had been one hell of a night and all they wanted right now was to tuck in their beds and rest.

After they’d found out that not only Sanji and Sora were missing but also the submarine ship of the Heart Pirates, the Strawhats had finally given in to their exhaustion and just passed out on the lawn. Chopper didn’t have the heart to wake them up even though he knew that they might catch a cold. Everyone needed to rest for yesterday’s events had drained them to the bone.

“You can go to sleep,” Zoro said to Chopper. “I’ll keep watch.”

“Aren’t you tired?” the little doctor asked.

“No,” he lied. Hell, he was fucking tired in every aspect but he had to stay awake for everyone. Furthermore, he knew that even if he closed his eye and tried to sleep, the mere idea of his son passed out on the infirmary bed and of the cook gallivanting around an enemy vessel was enough reason to keep him from slumber.

“Okay,” Chopper uttered as he rubbed his eyes sleepily with his hooves. “Wake me up when something happens to Rina and Kaitarou.”

“Hm,” Zoro hummed and he watched his nakama walked out of the sickbay to sleep in the men’s bunkroom.

Dr. Ranport told him that he would talk to his son in their room, and after the door closed behind him, silence filled in the infirmary and Zoro found himself resigning on the chair beside Kaitarou’s bed.

After massaging his eyebrows with his fingers, the swordsman sighed and stared at his son. He was getting a lot better: the pink tint on his cheeks was back and he already rolled to his side once. It counted as a good thing as the little kid seemed to look like he was just having a deep sleep.

“That shitty cook,” he muttered. He remembered seeing the cook flinch when their son collapsed on the lawn earlier. Even if he wouldn’t tell, Zoro knew that Sanji was doing this for Kaitarou and for the crew. He was a selfless bastard, so it was for certain that the cook would try to stop this mess all by himself.

But Zoro wouldn’t have that. Gone were the times when they didn’t give a damn to each other’s business, when Zoro didn’t give a fuck about him and when he would cut his own tongue rather than admit that he cared for him.

Right now, however, he could scream to the world how much he loved the cook, how much he meant to him and how much he was willing to sacrifice just to have him back safely inside his arms.

He never knew that he could love someone like this – or that he was even _capable_ of loving and being loved back. He’d always felt so alone ever since he was a child, with only his ambition keeping him alive, and that feeling itself was the one which made him a stoic and stiff person. It was a self-defense mechanism that was why he meditated and trained a lot – not only for his dream but also to keep his mind off things.

Because if he let that loneliness slip through his walls, then he might find himself crumbling down one day.

But when Sanji stepped into his life, everything changed in a blink of an eye. He didn’t know how it happened. It just did. He managed to fill in that dark void in his heart and he cradled Zoro like no one had ever done before.

His eye glanced down on his calloused hand. The memory of the cook’s thin and slender fingers intertwined with his, their warmth and the shallow cuts on them from hard labor in the kitchen permeated his mind.

As the emotion snugged inside his chest, Zoro felt that strong yearning to hold the cook close. After he’d gotten a taste of Sanji’s love, he found himself addicted to him: to his scent, touch, kiss, everything. He was like a drug which kept Zoro craving for more.

The slight creak of the bed cushion broke the swordsman’s train of thoughts. His eye landed on the woman who was lying on the opposite bed. The back of her hand was on her eyes, rubbing at them to cast the haziness away. And when she rolled to her side and propped an elbow beneath her, her dark eyes locked with the swordsman’s and her lips instantly parted upon his presence.

“Zo–” Rina paused. She distinctly remembered how the man snapped at her for calling his name, how much he hated hearing it fall from her mouth. Thus, backpedalling on her words, the woman struggled to a sitting position, hands resting protectively on her womb, and said, “Pirate-san.”

Zoro noticed the hesitation in her voice and that wave of emotion on her face which made her eyes downcast. Her fingers fiddled on the blanket for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before she said, “Can I… talk to you? It’s important.”

The swordsman wasn’t in the least interested with whatever she was going to say, but seeing her distraughtly struggle with something, eating and consuming her up, he thought of giving her a chance.

Sighing, Zoro stood from his seat, arranging the blanket on his son neatly before walking beside the woman’s bed. Rina’s eyes were on the little kid and Zoro saw the look of gentleness displayed on her face. “You’re a great father,” she said softly.

“Just tell me what you want to say,” Zoro said and folded his arms over his chest, waiting.

The woman’s gaze fell on her lap once again. After a few seconds, she uttered, “I have a confession to make.”

Zoro’s eyebrow raised a fraction. But before he could ask her what it was, she spoke, “I was really from the brothel that you went to in Spring Island and we really did sleep together. I drank a bit too much but the truth is… I remembered you.” She glanced at him. “I knew you were the infamous ‘Pirate Hunter’ from the Strawhat Pirates. Everyone in the world knows who you are. Your wanted posters were posted around the island so there was no way I couldn’t have recognized you.”

Zoro blinked at her. “Wait,” he said and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “what are you trying to say?”

“The _person_ who ordered me to do these things… _he_ has a Devil Fruit power. _He_ ’d put a glamour in my mind, to replace my memories with fabricated ones and to conceal the whole truth from you.”

Rina grasped the fabric of the bed covers. “The story about my lover’s debt, it was true. But he didn’t leave me. He was _taken_ away.” She closed her eyes, feeling an ache inside her chest as she reminisced the heart-wrenching memory. “His _captor_ told me that _he_ wouldn’t release him until I’ve paid my lover’s debt. In exchange for his freedom, _he_ offered me a condition: to sleep with you. I thought that everything would be fine after that, but _he_ captured me and locked me up in a cell when he learned that I’m conceiving a child.”

Looking up to Zoro, she confessed, “I was three weeks pregnant with my lover when I slept with you, Pirate-san. So there’s no way that this child inside my womb is yours.”

She saw the swordsman’s eye widen, his jaw slackening in shock and his arms falling down to his sides. “ _He_ made another condition,” she further added, “ _he_ said that I had to claim that you were the father to my child, to split you up with this man named ‘Sanji.’ _He_ was after your partner and I didn’t even know why. All _he_ said to me was if I don’t succeed in separating you both, then _he_ will kill my lover, as well as me and my unborn child.”

She shook her head and said quietly, “I couldn’t let that happen, Pirate-san.”

Tears escaped Rina’s eyes and she buried her face on her palms, wishing that they could somehow stop the pain and take away the terrible situation she was in. “I’m so sorry,” she cried. “I never meant to lie to you. I would never meddle in someone else’s relationship, and your crew has been so nice to me. I feel so ashamed.”

She choked out a sob. “ _He_ wants to kill me now that _he_ has Sanji-san. You have to save him. I’m of no use to _him_ anymore and I don’t know if my lover’s still alive after this but please, _please_ help me save him.”

Zoro didn’t know what to say. He just stood there, watching the lady cry mournfully on her palms and hearing her utter the word “please” repeatedly. When the reality of her words finally dawned on him, it was as if the heavy burden upon his shoulders had been lifted. He released a sigh and closed his eye briefly, collecting himself from the tremendous relief that could make a normal person fall down on his knees.

It wasn’t his child. Fuck. It wasn’t his. Kaitarou was his only son and he could be with Sanji forever. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

However grateful he was, he couldn’t bring himself to smile in front of the suffering woman. Even if he was a stubborn bastard and a no-good talker, he had enough self-awareness about this kind of situation. “I’ll talk to the crew about it later this morning,” he said.

When her cries gradually died down, she wiped the tears off her face and looked at him. “I still have to tell you one last thing, Pirate-san.”

“What is it?”

He watched the emotion play on her face; there was hesitation, shame and something that was definitely sharper and heavier – _guilt_. Biting her lip briefly, she said, “It’s about Sora-chan.”

* * *

 

The moment he stepped inside the ship, Sanji clearly felt the familiar aura radiating beneath his feet, located deep within the lower levels of the vessel. The shape, the color – it was all too familiar that he couldn’t have mistaken it for anyone else’s.

Eyebrows twitching in anger, Sanji lunged for the Candyman walking in front of him. He threw a kick to his side, but the man was able to block it with his cane. “You shitheads,” he growled, “what the fuck did you do to Sora-chan?!”

Candyman laughed. “I expect no less from you, Blackleg.” He shoved Sanji’s foot away, making him jump a few feet away from him. “I will let you see her. But you have to talk to my _boss_ first.”

Sanji was reluctant to oblige. He had reckoned foul plays to occur when he decided to see the culprit of this mess, but he hadn’t expected that someone close to him would get tangled up again with his business.

Shit. He needed a smoke.

He fished for a stick inside his pocket, lighting it up with his lighter, before inhaling the first drag of smoke. It had always been his favorite, that first rush of nicotine inside his lungs which intoxicated him with every burn.

He blew a steady stream in front of him. Letting the cigarette dangle between his lips, he shoved his hands inside his pockets and cocked his head to the side. “All right, Candy Guy,” he said, “it’s a deal.”

* * *

 

It wasn’t a total disaster – like what Zoro had earlier predicted – but there had definitely been shouts, accusing words and woeful cries. The infirmary was silent, as Vallo calmed down inside his father’s arms.

Chopper, in his human form, was standing in front of Rina’s bed. He had prevented Vallo from lunging at her, saying that she was his patient and that the lady was pregnant.

Kaitarou was awake and sitting on his bed, arms encircling Zoro’s waist and face burying on his chest. The swordsman kept patting his head gently, sometimes whispering comforting words to his ear about his Papa: that he would definitely come back, that he just went away to do something, and that he wouldn’t leave him because Sanji loved him.

Seeing the little kid’s arms wrapped around him like this, trusting him, clinging to him for support, Zoro knew that his son had already forgiven him.

“Are you hungry?” the swordsman asked.

Kaitarou shook his head, face still buried on his father’s chest, and said, “I want Papa’s food.”

Zoro felt the corner of his mouth twitch up and he pressed a kiss on his son’s head. “Me too,” he said, “you’ll eat his food again soon.”

The kid nodded and tightened his arms around his father.

“Vallo-san,” Robin called as she approached the grieving man, “do you have Sora’s vivre card with you?”

Vallo swallowed the lump inside his throat before answering, “Yes.”

“Can I see it?” she asked.

Wiping the tears from his cheeks, he fished out a necklace from his pants pocket and opened the locket to reveal a small piece of paper carefully folded and tucked inside. “This is hers.”

He handed the paper to the archeologist and she unfolded Sora’s vivre card, watching as it trembled on her palm and slowly crawled toward a certain direction – _east_. “Sora’s alive,” she declared. “If she’s dead, then her vivre won’t even exist right now.”

“What?” Vallo asked in confusion. “How are you so sure?”

“The vivre card is known as ‘the paper of life,’” Robin explained. “It is made up of a part of a person’s fingernail and reflects the owner’s life force. If the life force of that person is diminishing, then this paper will start to burn. And if that person recovers, it will grow back to its original size.”

“That’s true,” Luffy agreed as he sat on Chopper’s chair, arms folded on top of the backrest. “Ace’s vivre card burnt when he died.”

Silence dawned inside the room. The crew knew how much pain their captain had gone through because of his brother’s death. It wasn’t that it was a taboo topic on the Sunny, but all of them refrained from talking about Ace’s death in front of Luffy.

Even though they knew they couldn’t take away the pain in their captain’s heart, they still hoped that time and their presence would help heal that deep wound inside him.

“Well, this is a good sign, Vallo-san,” Robin said, shifting the topic back to Sora as she had perceived the change in the atmosphere. “She’s alive and we can definitely track her down.”

Relief flushed down the man’s system and he supported his head with his hand, eyes shutting tightly as his heart banged loudly against his ribcage. “Thank you,” he uttered breathily.

“It wasn’t much, but…” Rina began and she suddenly felt small. She had no right to speak, or to even exist on this ship, and there was no way that she could redeem herself from the terrible things she’d done to them, but still, summoning up her last bit of courage, she pulled out the small den den mushi from the pocket of her dress and laid it out in front of her.

Swallowing, she said, “You can talk to the _boss_ through this.”

* * *

 

Sanji's forefinger was thrumming on his arm.

He was seated on the couch, right leg crossed over the other, as his arms were folded above his chest. With his eyes closed, he let the smoke rise from the cigarette tucked between his lips, never bothering to have a drag or to puff on it. He just sat there – _patiently_ waiting for the arrival of the Candy Bastard’s so-called _boss_.

Sanji felt so exhausted. He hadn’t slept a wink and now that he was nestled on a fucking comfortable couch – much to his dismay – he could slowly feel the fatigue creeping on every fiber of his body. He should stand up. He couldn’t let his guard down while he was in this hellish place.

But before he could bring himself to it, he felt a _presence_ stepping into the ship. “He’s here,” he heard the Candyman say. As the aura approached him, closer and closer, he could feel a weird sense of _familiarity_ from it. He could see the shape and the color of the aura, but he wasn’t quite sure about the identity of its _owner_. Because, fuck, that aura shouldn’t even be here.

However, even though how much he denied it, that familiarity felt like a pulse drumming in his wrist, steady and rhythmical, like a mantra which he had heard over the years. And when the footsteps stopped just behind the door of the room he was in, Sanji opened his eyes and rolled his gaze to the side.

Candyman gripped the handle and turned it down. Sanji felt his breath hitch when the door opened.

Dark hair. Tan skin. Bushy eyebrows.

His haki wasn’t fooling him after all.

The cigarette fell from his lips, the ash blemishing his neat button down shirt, and rolled down on the wooden floor beside his feet. The _man_ wasn’t in his usually grubby shirt and worn out trousers; instead, he was wearing a _marvelous_ black tuxedo with the golden chain of a pocket watch hanging from his belt loop.

His dark hair wasn’t ragged, but styled and combed in a way which reminded Sanji of the high class people whom he’d met before in the Baratie.

Sanji’s eyes were still wide when _he_ approached him. He couldn’t say a single word when the _man_ sank _his_ knee on the cushion between his parted thighs, left hand boldly reaching for the backrest of the couch and right hand tipping the blond’s chin up to look at him straight in the eyes.

 _“It’s good to see you again, Sanji,”_ the _man_ said with a smile.

“Wha–wha–?” Sanji couldn’t bring himself to speak. He felt his heart bang loudly inside his chest and his muscles paralyze under the _terrible_ revelation.

No. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t be the culprit behind this fucking mess. Sanji had known him. He’d _trusted_ him. He couldn’t be that fucking _boss_ the Candyman bastard was talking about! There must be a mistake. There _had_ to be.

The _man_ slowly leaned down beside his face, his breath tickling Sanji’s ear as he spoke, “I’ve missed you.”

He lustfully licked a taste of Sanji’s cheek and the blond jolted at that lecherous act. He shoved _him_ away as hard as he could, the back of his hand wiping distastefully on the wetness on his cheek and he flashed him a glare which could only be interpreted as anger, disgust… and _betrayal._

“You fucking traitor,” he growled at him.

The _man_ laughed and plopped himself on the opposite couch, right leg resting on top of _his_ left thigh and arm comfortably stretching along the backrest. An arrogant smirk curved the corners of _his_ mouth. “I’m not a traitor, Sanji.”

The _man_ took the wine being offered to him by the Candyman and he took a sip on the glass, _his_ gaze never leaving the blond as the bitter liquid went down his throat. “I’ve loved you first, you know.”

 _He_ swirled the glass gently and licked the remains of the liquor on _his_ lips. “I’m just collecting what’s _mine_ ,” Dan purred as he stared at Sanji with dark, lust-filled eyes.

\- TBC


	35. Everything All At Once

[**Chio-chan2**](http://chio-chan2.tumblr.com) drew an amazing art for this story! You can view it at the end of [Chapter 28](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11574693/chapters/29379153) or reblog it [here](https://lady-elocin.tumblr.com/post/169619334280/art-illustration-chapter-28-past-present-and). Thank you (cries).

* * *

 

**Chapter 35: Everything All At Once**

Sanji’s feet were itching to break some bones – someone’s _skull_ , preferably.

He could feel the trickle of contained power in every muscle fiber, in every tributary and course of his veins, and the scalding heat of restrained ferocity in each pore on his legs.

He was seething.

“Relax, Sanji,” Dan said as a roguish glint flashed across his eyes, “as much as I want you _squirming_ , I won’t do anything bad to you.”

“You’re a fucking liar,” Sanji hissed. “You lied about everything. Those two years we’ve known each other, it was a fucking lie.”

“Not all of it,” Dan contradicted. “The kindness I’ve shown to you. My feelings. They’re all genuine.”

“Then you can have those blasted feelings back because I’m not reciprocating in the slightest even if I die.” His nails were digging into his palms, carving the skin with crescent-shaped marks as he glared at the traitor in front of him.

Dan regarded him for a moment, a glint of unbidden hurt flashing in his eyes but he immediately blinked the emotion away. He put the glass of wine on top of the coffee table and leaning on his thighs through his elbows, he stared at Sanji solemnly.

“I was a noble,” he began to speak. “My parents got involved in a dangerous transaction with the Celestial Dragons, something about slavery and human trafficking and when things had gone terribly haywire, the next thing I knew the following morning was that I was stripped of my title. My parents and sister were assassinated in order to protect the Celestial Dragon’s undefiled and impeccable image. I was able to escape. I wandered around for months, jumping from island to island, anywhere, just far away from that infernal country. I became a slave and got auctioned in an underground slave market. Hence at a very young age, I was forced to fend for myself.”

Sanji remained silent. He remembered Dan telling him that he was a former slave from a faraway country. However, considering the sudden turn of events, he didn’t know if he would believe him anymore.

“Then that _man_ found me,” Dan said and his hand went to the hem of his tuxedo. “He had liberated me from slavery, appointed me as a member of his family and even entrusted me the underground transactions and the Auction House in Bartero Island. He gave me a new life.”

He lifted the fabric and revealed the black ink tattooed on his skin, right on his left ribs.  It was a crossed out smiley face and was appallingly familiar to Sanji. It was the symbol of the underground anomalies for years, of shady businesses and majority of the dreadful negotiations which were better left unspoken of.

But more than that, Sanji couldn’t forget the fact that he and his crew had once faced that Jolly Roger head-on a few years ago.

“The one who saved me,” Dan said, “was _Doflamingo._ ”

Sanji tried to swallow the revelation thrown at him. He fluttered his eyelids, as if blinking the absurdity of the situation away, and lightly chewed the inside of his lower lip. He was with an enemy all along. Fuck.

“How come Sora-chan hadn’t seen through you?” Sanji asked in confusion. “If you’re an enemy then–”

 _Then Sora-chan would have known_ , he thought.

“Ah, yes.” Dan let the fabric fall again and took the wine glass from the coffee table. As he resigned himself back on the couch, he said, “Doflamingo made me ate a Devil Fruit. I have the ability to block my memories, to fabricate them, and to place glamour on another person’s mind. Sora can’t see through the barriers I’ve put inside my head because first of all, her ability requires her to search for a certain event in a person’s memory. She can’t find something that has been thoroughly concealed, can she?”

After taking a sip on his glass, he continued, “My ability has a very disappointing aspect though. Even if I can put a glamour on another person’s mind, that person must be _willing_ to receive it. That’s why I can’t put that thing on you, Sanji, much to my dismay. However, the glamour was proven to be useful on Rina though.”

Sanji’s eyebrows furrowed. “What? What the hell are you saying?”

“She set you and everyone up. She’s my subordinate. Well, _was._ ” A cruel twitch of his mouth and Sanji was already lunging at him. He jumped over the table, lightning fast, and curled his fingers tightly on Dan’s tuxedo.

The wine glass fell from the man’s hand, shattering into hundreds of tiny shards and spilling the remaining wine on the floor.

“Easy, Blackleg.”

Candyman was behind him, his cane dangerously restraining Sanji’s neck. But Sanji paid him no attention, his white-hot fury burning through his system as the fabric crumpled inside his grip. “She’s carrying a child, you fucking piece of shit,” Sanji snarled.

“And you still think that it’s Zoro’s?” Dan said with an arrogant tip of his head.

Sanji’s hold wavered for a second. “What are you implying?”

Dan laughed. “Come on, Sanji. Don’t tell me you haven’t figured it out yet?” He yanked Sanji closer through his shirt and looked at him straight in the eyes. “I ordered her to feign Zoro’s paternal claim on her child. To breach your relationship with him and to impel you to seek for me, to save that child’s life.”

Sanji could still hear Candyman’s whispered words to his ear back in the Sunny: _“Come with me, or your son and the child inside that woman’s womb will be killed. There are remains of the candy inside her and I can squeeze the baby to death at will. Your foster father in East Blue will be very disappointed in you.”_

“But that was a sham.” Candyman grinned. “There are no candy remains inside her. You were fooled, Blackleg.”

Sanji’s hands shook on Dan’s clothes. “You scoundrel,” he hissed. “How did you know about Zeff?!”

The man withdrew his hand from Sanji’s shirt and said, “The Vinsmokes.”

Sanji stiffened at the mention of his family’s name. His hands gradually lost their strength and slipped from his hold on Dan’s tuxedo. Candyman withdrew the cane from his neck but still stood closely behind him. Swallowing anxiously, he let out his voice to ask but it just sounded strained in his own ears. “What?”

Dan stared as Sanji stood in front of him with a certain kind of emotion that masked his face – _fear_. Sanji was fearing for his foster father’s life.

“Everything was going well,” Dan started to explain, “I thought that you’d be staying in Banaru Island forever, but when I heard about your family searching for you, I investigated on them. Then when I learned that they were planning on taking you back with them, I started to move, using my influence and authority to take you with me by force. But that hateful swordsman came in to the picture and had to make things harder for me.”

His eyebrows creased. “So instead of hiding you from your family, I decided to make a deal with them.”

“What?” Sanji asked. “What deal?”

_A knock._

Sanji almost jumped on his feet. He was too absorbed in the situation that he hadn’t felt about the other person’s presence. Candyman walked toward the door and when he opened it, Sanji saw a tall merman with blue scaly skin standing in the doorway.

“Boss,” the merman said, “their ship’s here.”

Nodding, Dan commanded, “Usher them here.”

After the merman walked away and the door closed behind him, Dan faced toward the blond’s stiff and silent figure in front of him. “Why don’t you take a seat, Sanji?”

But Sanji couldn’t hear him. He could feel it – _them_. Those auras and two sets of footsteps that were growing louder and louder as they neared the room. Sanji was rooted on the spot and he thought for a moment if he had been standing for already an eternity. He couldn’t move, as if his blood got frozen inside his veins.

And when the footfalls halted on the other side of the door, Sanji felt a cold shudder run down his spine, making the hairs on his arms stood especially when the door opened and revealed two awfully familiar faces that Sanji thought he wouldn’t see ever again and whose names were best left buried in his painful past.

A woman with shoulder-length pink hair walked inside the room, wearing a pink dress raid suit and gauntlets. _“It’s nice to see you again, Sanji,”_ Reiju said and Sanji had swallow at the sound of her voice.

_“Tch. This ship’s so scruffy.”_

Sanji’s breath hitched in his throat. A tall young man with green slick back hair and dressed in a green raid suit emerged behind her. His black hooded cloak swayed as he entered the room, proudly displaying the huge number “4” imprinted on the fabric.

When his eyes met his, Sanji thought for a moment that he was looking at the mirror. The young man raised a curly eyebrow when he saw him, and almost immediately, just like how he flashed Sanji those hateful victorious smirks before, his lips turned into a lopsided grin.

“ _Hey there, brother_ ,” Yonji said with an amused glint in his eyes, “ _it’s so nice to see your pathetic face again.”_

* * *

 

Dan closed the door behind him.

“Boss,” Candyman said as they walked along the hallway, “are you sure it’s fine to leave them with Blackleg? They might escape with him.”

“They can’t.” Dan opened the door to his room. “I have faith that Sanji is stronger than them and we have Sora in captivity. He isn’t stupid to leave her here alone. He won’t go with them.” He punched the code to his safe and grabbed the pistol inside it.

The cold dark metal hummed in his hand. He said, “This gun belonged to my father. Its bullets are said to be made in kairoseki, and that they can pierce through all impenetrable barriers.”

Dan ran a finger along the sleek metal barrel, examining the deadly beauty of the gun. “No one’s getting out of here alive,” he said and the Candyman grinned.

* * *

 

The Strawhats waited as the den den mushi rang on Nami’s palm. When the receiver picked up, some of the crew grasped and the navigator swallowed for a moment before saying, “Where’s Sanji-kun?”

There was a brief pause from the other end of the line, but after a while, a low voice sounded from the transponder snail. “ _Ah_ ,” it said, “ _you must be Sanji’s crew_.”

Nami was about to open her mouth when the snail got snatched away from her hand. “Oi, you bastard!” Luffy shouted. “Give me back my nakama!”

“Luffy!” the navigator tried to grab the snail but the rubber captain jumped away a few feet from her.

“Tell me where you are so I can kick your ass!” he declared.

The boss laughed. “ _And you must be the captain_ , _am I correct?”_

“That’s right!” Luffy said and put a hand on his hip, standing tall as if challenging him into a fight. “My name’s Monkey D. Luffy and I’m going to be the King of Pirates!”

Nami smacked her forehead with her hand. “Idiot.”

Robin chuckled as the others grinned at their captains stupidly brave words.

_“Roronoa Zoro.”_

A crease appeared between Zoro’s eyebrows and he stepped toward the den den mushi. “You have five seconds to tell me where the hell the cook is before I decide to cut your head off.”

A low laughter was heard from the snail as its eyes stared at him. _“Sanji’s a bit…_ unattended _right now.”_

The swordsman’s hands balled into fists and the muscles on his jaw jumped. “What do you mean?”

A wicked smirk stretched across the snail’s mouth. “ _He passed out after I had my way with him._ ”

Zoro felt his blood boil and for a second, he saw _red_ in his vision. He snatched the snail from his captain’s hand and growled threateningly, “Don’t you fucking dare touch him.”

“ _I already had_.”

His hand trembled around the snail. “Zoro, you’re going to destroy it–” Nami began to say but the swordsman cut her off.

“YOU ASSHOLE!” The swordsman glared darkly at the snail, hoping that it was the bastard’s neck he was holding right now so he could choke him to death. “I swear I’ll fucking find you, and when that happens, I’ll kill you with my bare hands. I’ll tear you apart piece by piece and I will make sure that you feel nothing but agony with every breath.”

“Swordsman-san.”

Zoro whipped his head around, finding the serious dark eyes of the archaeologist staring straight at him. Her hands were on Kaitarou’s ears, and with a shake of her head, she said, “Don’t let your son hear those ruthless words from you.”

When his good eye landed on the figure of his son sitting on the bed, big blue eyes staring at him innocently, a small fingertip slipped between his lips, Zoro felt his anger subside a few notches. Striving to keep himself calm, he took a deep breath and directed his attention back to the snail.

“What the hell do you want?” he asked as calmly as he could.

 _“I already have what I want,”_ the boss said, “ _Sanji’s_ mine _. You won’t have him ever again.”_

And just like that, the call ended and Zoro found himself throwing the snail across the infirmary. It shattered against the opposite wall as his fingers ran on his head, gripping on green locks frustratingly.

Zoro cursed under his breath as he paced back and forth across the room. He couldn’t lose the cook. Not now when he was certain of everything, when their son needed him, and when he finally realized that he couldn’t go on without him by his side.

“Calm down, Swordsman-san.” Zoro stopped his pacing, head turning around to Robin to snap at her and tell her how the fuck could he calm down in this kind of situation, when the archeologist flashed him one of her astute smiles.

All the people in the room quietly looked at her, patiently waiting for her to speak and when she did, her words were: “I have an idea.”

* * *

 

His subordinate was laughing behind him. “You shouldn’t have teased that swordsman like that, boss.”

Dan grinned as he tucked the den den mushi inside the inner pocket of his tuxedo. “I’ve always liked seeing him hopelessly broken.”

* * *

 

Sanji couldn’t sit down. He was on edge, feeling that urge to flee once his siblings stood even an arm’s length away from him.

Yonji and Reiju both sat down on the couch he was on a while ago. He remained standing there, trying to hide the trembling of his hands as he lit himself up a much needed cigarette.

“You’ve grown tall, Sanji,” Reiju said with a smile, crossing a long leg over the other.

“Shut up,” Sanji said and glared at them, “I don’t to see you guys.”

Yonji snorted. “Do you think we also want to see a failure like you? Honestly, I thought that you were already dead. Then Father started talking about you and your marriage. It was boring as hell.”

“Wait, what?” Sanji asked wide-eyed. “Marriage? With _whom_?”

His brother stared at him for a moment as if he had grown a second head, but when realization dawned on him, his face split into a huge smirk and he cackled with laughter, slamming his hand down on his thigh. “What the hell, brother?” he said as he wiped a tear from his eye. “Your captain didn’t tell you? We sent an invitation to him. _Personally,_ might I add.”

Sanji’s lips parted. Luffy. He had forgotten to ask Luffy about his family’s business with him, as to why they were searching for him after all these years. Several events happened after he came back and they hadn’t really had a chance to talk about things. Fuck. How could the question slip his mind?

“I wouldn’t have thought in a million years that you would be dumped into a low-class pirate crew and be a lowlife. Nevertheless, you’ve always been a pathetic loser. Your captain must’ve been the same–”

Yonji was cut off by a pair of hands clutching tightly on his suit, sending him back forcefully against the backrest of the couch and shocking him at how possible it was to bridge the gap between them in a span of a heartbeat.

Sanji towered over him, glaring at him like a wild animal as the ashes from his cigarette fell on his pants. “Don’t talk about my crew and my captain that way,” he snarled, his voice full of unspoken death threats and anger toward his brother.

Yonji scowled.

“That’s enough,” Reiju interrupted as a fight was threatening to break out if she hadn’t broken the tension between her brothers. “You will have to say yes to the marriage, Sanji. You know our Father. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

Sanji pulled his hands back from their grip on Yonji’s suit. Walking away from their personal space and with his back turned, he said, “I don’t care about him, or what he wants. I just want him off my life.”

“Off your son’s life, you mean.”

Sanji’s eyes widened and he whipped around to find Yonji smirking at him. “Yes, Sanji, we know. Father told us,” he said as he leaned forward on his elbow and pressed his cheek against his fist. “We know about that crazy drug Mother took when she was pregnant with us, about your weird condition… and about your _son_.”

Yonji’s wicked smirk grew wider. “Ichiji, Niji and I are all _thrilled_ to meet that adorable fella. We’re excited to be uncles, you know.”

Sanji felt sweat trickle down his neck. His palms were a bit too moist for his own comfort, but the loud beating of his heart told him that he couldn’t get away with this.

“Father has also pinpointed the exact location of that floating restaurant in East Blue,” Reiju added. “You can’t escape this, Sanji.”

He felt so suffocated. He had so much people he cared about who were dragged into this bloody mess. He couldn’t risk their lives with his selfish decision. He couldn’t do that to them.

The door opened and Dan entered the room again, Candyman trailing close behind him like a good dog. “The deal,” he reminded the two Vinsmokes.

“Ah, yes,” Reiju said and threw a pair of golden cuffs at him.

He caught the object in the air. As a smile grew on his lips, Dan looked up to see Sanji, and from the troubled expression on his face, he knew that the blond was already helplessly cornered.

“Have you made your decision, Sanji?” Reiju asked. When his brother didn’t reply, she continued, “If you don’t go with us now, then Father will send Niji and Ichiji after you, or perhaps himself. You don’t really have any other choice.”

Sanji closed his eyes and bit the filter of his cigarette. His mind was a fucking mess. His emotions were muddled and he kept wishing about the safety of all the people he cared about.

Zoro and Kaitarou. He hoped that they were both fine. He wanted to be with them, to feel their presence near him, and to engulf himself in the warmth of their embrace. They were his _family_ , his _future._ And he wanted nothing but to drop everything that was happening to him right now and run back to them.

The ashes fell from his cigarette. The smoke rose in translucent curls above his head. There were his heartbeats, his silent breathing, and then he said, “Fine.” He swallowed when he sounded hollow to his own ears. “I’ll go with you.”

Pleased, Dan walked toward him with the golden cuffs in his hands. “This is just a precaution,” he said, “in case you change your mind and try to escape.”

Sanji looked at the cuffs anxiously before lending his wrists reluctantly. “This is unnecessary.”

As the object snapped close around his wrists, Dan’s mouth stretched into a grin. “It is,” he said and looked at him through his lashes, “You’ve become mine now officially, Sanji.”

The blond’s eyebrows furrowed and before he could ask what the hell he was talking about, a huge blob of candy flowed rapidly on the wooden floor, wrapping around his lower limbs, trapping him, before he could even set them on fire.

“What the–?”

Sanji’s eyes flicked toward the direction of his siblings. Reiju and Yonji were both wrapped up to their necks with the same thick mixture.

“Candy Wave.” Candyman grinned.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Sanji asked, frowning.

Dan pulled out a pistol from the waistband of his pants. “Our deal went like this,” he explained, “I give you back to them but I will be the one who’ll put those cuffs on you.”

Sanji’s eyes dropped down on his wrists. The gold was glinting under the light of the lamp mounted on the ceiling. Then, he heard Dan’s voice saying, “Those cuffs are special. They are similar to Bomb Collars and are designed to make a person submit under the authority of the one who put it on him. The Vinsmokes, with their outstanding scientific prowess, are able to create such wonderful objects. Thus, Sanji, if you try to escape from me, you know exactly well what will happen.”

Sanji’s heart banged against his ribs. He could feel the dread that was coursing through his system. _If you try to escape from me, then you’ll be cooking with your feet_ , those were the words.

His hands clenched into tight fists in front of him. Gritting his teeth, he ran his hands frustratingly through his hair and cursed, “Shit!”

“Do you think I’ll let you have him?” Dan said as he stepped forward, aiming the muzzle toward Reiju. “I’ve only wanted your help for those cuffs. Now that I have what I want, you’re of no use to me.”

Both Vinsmokes were silent. The candy was tight and hard around them, rendering them immobile and at the mercy of the man who was holding the gun. Dan pressed the mouth of the pistol against Reiju’s head. “Let’s start with you, shall we?” he said as he slowly moved the hammer back and the bullet clicked into place.

“You’re a scum,” Sanji hissed through gritted teeth. “Get away from her!”

Reiju’s blue eye rolled to his direction, and for a second, he felt his heart stop when the woman smiled at him. “It’s okay, Sanji,” she said.

His breath was coming out in pants. Even though he didn’t feel the tiniest bit of connection to his siblings, he couldn’t stand seeing them die in front of him.

Dan’s finger ghosted dangerously over the trigger.

Reiju was still smiling at him.

He couldn’t move his legs.

He was _helpless._

Then he heard the gun clattering on the floor.

Sanji’s eyes were wide, his mouth hanging in muted shock, as he saw a different layer of coating wrap around Dan’s body. “What–” He heard the man gasp as the candy encased his entire being, trapping him, _killing_ him.

“ _Candy Man_.”

The subordinate grinned wickedly and with a motion of his hand, the candy around Sanji and his siblings all slithered back to his hands. The man licked his cane and regarded the two Vinsmokes with a smile. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Reiju-chan, Yonji-kun.”

Yonji grumbled in annoyance and stretched the muscles on his neck. “That candy was a bit rough.”

Candyman chuckled. “Sorry about that.”

“Wha–?” Sanji’s eyes were on Dan’s frozen – glazed – form. What the fuck was happening?

“Ah, yes, Sanji-kun,” Candyman said and licked his candy cane. “I’m _Perospero_ of the Big Mom Pirates.”

“WHAT?!” Sanji eyes bulged from their sockets. What the fuck was Big Mom’s subordinate doing here?

“Big Mom is my mother,” he explained, “and she sent me to help the Vinsmokes chase after you. A few months ago, one of my sources informed me about this guy–” he jerked his head toward Dan “–and told me that he’s connected with you. I pretended to be his subordinate, did dirty jobs for him, and even though I could easily take you with me, I still stuck around until the end because it was fun.”

 _Fun._ Sanji couldn’t believe it. This scum had played with his life all for his selfish pleasure and satisfaction. It was fucking unforgivable.

“This guy’s pretty obsessed with you, Sanji-kun,” Perospero said, amusement evident in his eyes. “He’s willing to sacrifice everything just to have you. Pathetic, if you ask me. After his death, Mama will take his subordinates and command them under her flag.”

He pointed at the gold cuffs around Sanji’s wrists. “That pair of cuffs around your wrists was given by Mama to your siblings. It wasn’t the ones crafted by the Vinsmokes, but that thing will still explode if you try to escape. Mama has the trigger, so behave well if I were you.”

Perospero bent down and grabbed the gun on the floor. “Mama will be pleased with this gun,” he said as he examined the deadly object. “She likes collecting rare things. This can be immediately added to her collection in the Whole Cake Chateau.”

“Stop your rambling,” Reiju said seriously as she stood on her feet. “Let’s get moving.”

Sanji’s head was spinning. It was all too much to take in at the moment. He felt as if everything he’d known was a lie, that everything he’d thought about the goddamn mess he was in was a freaking _show_ staged by his family and by the Big Mom Pirates.

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know if he could still speak at _all._

However, he tried to push the sound out even if his voice sounded strained and foreign. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he said, “Give me a pen and paper.”

* * *

 

Sora heard footsteps approaching her cell. As she cracked an eye open, the bars creaked open and a man walked toward her. When he crouched down in front of her, she saw _yellow_ … and _blue_.

“Sora-chan.”

Her heart almost stopped at the sight of Sanji. She was saved. “Sanji-san.” She tried to lift herself up from the floor, but her head pounded painfully and she slipped.

“Don’t strain yourself,” Sanji said and unbuttoned his shirt. He wrapped the cloth around her frail figure and heaved her up in his arms.

“Wait,” Sora said breathily as the fever took over her system. “Rey-san. The other cell. He’s Rina’s lover.”

Sanji’s head turned toward the next cell and he saw a shackled man staring silently at them. “Are you Rey?” he asked and when the man nodded, he kicked the bars like they were nothing but thin, fragile wood. He broke the chain between the man’s wrists with a single kick and he jerked his head toward the stairs leading out of this hellhole. “Follow me.”

The giant sea slug was no longer there. The ship was docked into a foreign island which Sanji hadn’t seen before in his life. There was a vast stretch of forest near the shore and Sanji felt a bit relieved to leave Sora in an island where she could take refuge under the protection of tall trees and bushes.

“Sora-chan,” he said as he laid her down on the sand, “I need to leave and do something.”

“Where are you going, Sanji-san? What happened?” she asked with heavy-lidded eyes.

With a small smile, he took the young lady’s hand inside his and said, “See for yourself.”

After Sora plunged deep inside Sanji’s memory, she immediately shook her head and gripped his arm tightly. “Don’t go, Sanji-san. Please.”

Sanji grabbed her hand on his arm and tucked a piece of folded paper inside it. He stood up and tapped Rey’s shoulder. “Keep her safe, will you? I wish you well with Rina-chan.”

The man nodded. “I will. And thank you.”

“Sanji-san,” Sora pleaded, “please don’t go.”

But Sanji just closed his eyes and smiled at her. The smile was gentle but full of concealed sadness, and it broke her heart when he heard him say, “Tell the others I say hi.”

Then he left, turning his back on her and running toward the ship without another word. She heard herself scream for his name, but the blond didn’t turn around. She saw the ship sail under the morning sun, farther and farther away, until the vessel appeared as a blurry image in the horizon.

The edges of the paper cut into her palm like razors. It hurt. And when she finally found the courage to open it, she felt tears glide down her cheeks as she read the painful message of the man whom she’d considered as her brother for over two years.

* * *

 

Reiju gave him a spare shirt. It was white, long-sleeved, and with ruffled collars. He leaned on the railing, blowing a stream of smoke toward the ocean and feeling the wind brush against his face as the vessel moved along the waters.

There were dark bags under his eyes, and he could feel the exhaustion wearing him down. But he couldn’t sleep. He just couldn’t.

“It’s a shame that that young lady has to go,” Perospero said behind him as he referred to Sora. “Mama would’ve appreciated someone with her ability in her crew that’s why I ordered the mermen to save her.” He licked his candy cane. “But your presence is much more important, so I don’t regret letting her go.”

Sanji made a deal with them: he would go _willingly_ , without any skirmish or resistance from him, if he let Sora go.

That man named Rey, Perospero had probably let him go as well for he didn’t have any further use for him.

“Your fiancé’s eager to see you, Sanji-kun.”

“Who?” Sanji asked as he looked at the man over his shoulder.

A grin formed on the pirate’s lips as he said, “My brother, _Charlotte Katakuri._ ”

* * *

 

“That’s why I told you a thousand times before to leave Sanji-kun’s vivre card on the ship.” Nami sighed and massaged the spot above her right eyebrow. “But, yeah, I forgot that you’re a stubborn idiot. My mistake.”

A vein throbbed in Zoro’s temple and he glared at her. “You’ve already complained about that shit a _thousand_ times before. Stop repeating yourself, witch.”

Nami grumbled something under her breath and went back to her position beside Franky on the helm. Zoro had already regretted losing the cook’s vivre card all right. Now, their only lead to finding him was Sora’s vivre card because Robin had this theory about her possibly being captured by the enemy.

Clinging to that last string of hope, the crew ventured forward.

“Daddy.” Kaitarou looked at Zoro as he sat on his arm. “Papa said not to talk to ladies like that.”

Zoro didn’t know if he would laugh or be pissed at the cook for teaching that to their son. Still, he found himself chuckling because, damn, his son just looked so adorable with that frown on his curly eyebrows. “Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. My mistake.”

“Land ho!”

Usopp’s shout was heard through the speakers in the crow’s nest. The crew scrambled on their feet when the shape of an island came into view. Nami immediately looked at the vivre card on her hand. “It’s pointing to that island,” she said to herself.

Tucking the piece of paper in the back pocket of her pants, she commanded, “Arms to port!”

* * *

 

The vivre card was trembling on her palm. It was livelier and agitated. Her eyes flicked toward the confines of the tall trees in the forest area. “That way,” Nami said to her companions.

It wasn’t far from the mouth of the forest when Zoro sensed a familiar presence around him. He immediately sprinted toward it, dashing along the trees with his eye closed for he knew that his haki would _definitely_ lead him to the right direction.

Luffy was trailing close behind him. And when the presence became too overwhelming, he halted and opened his eye.

A few feet away from him sat Sora, leaning against a tree with a very much familiar shirt draped over her shoulders. There was a man beside him and Zoro instinctively gripped the hilt of his katana. “Zoro-san,” Sora said when she saw him. “It’s okay.”

Trusting her words, the swordsman dropped his hand from Wado and walked toward her. “We need to get you to Chopper, Sora,” Luffy said with furrowed eyebrows. “You look horrible.”

After thanking Luffy, she said, “This is Rey-san.” The man nodded to acknowledge the two pirates. “He’s Rina’s long-lost lover.”

Zoro’s eyebrows knotted. This man was that woman’s partner? The one who was captured by the enemies? If he was here, then–

“Where’s the cook?” Zoro asked.

The expression on Sora’s face changed. He didn’t want to assume, but the sorrow on her face was too much to be mistaken for something else. “This is for you, Zoro-san.”

The swordsman took a piece of paper from her hand. When he opened it, he immediately recognized that neat cursive handwriting scribbled on the paper. He read it. _Thrice._ Because he had to make sure that he hadn’t interpreted the message wrongly.

“What the fuck?” Zoro muttered and looked at Sora in confusion.

“Sanji-san himself gave me that,” she said and tears started to pool again in her emerald eyes. “I don’t want to believe it either, but…” She shook her and wiped the wetness on her cheeks. “That’s all there is to it.”

_To my friends,_

_I need to go and meet with someone. Don’t try to find me. I probably won’t be back. Thank you for everything._

_To Zoro and Kaitarou,_

_I’ll always love you both._

Zoro’s hand closed around the paper tightly, crumpling it and hoping that the damn thing would reduce to rubbles inside his strong grip. “No. The cook won’t do that,” he said, trying to convince himself, “he’ll be back. I’m sure of it.”

“Hey, Zoro. What did Sanji say?” Luffy asked as he tried to pry his fingers open. “Lemme see! Lemme see!”

“He said he won’t be coming back,” Zoro said with a frown. “I don’t know who the hell he’s meeting with but I’m hauling his ass back in one way or another.”

Luffy fell silent after hearing that, and if it wasn’t weird enough, then Zoro didn’t know what was. “What?” he asked his captain.

Luffy’s eyebrows pulled together and his hands curled into fists beside him. “Sanji said that?”

“Yes.”

The captain sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “He shouldn’t have left. I know he doesn’t want that marriage. I won’t let him get married with that guy anyway–”

“Wait, what?” Zoro stepped closer to his captain. “What _marriage_? What the hell are you talking about?”

Luffy’s mouth remained suspended as the thought hit him. “Oh! Yeah!” he said and scratched his head apologetically. “I forgot to tell you, Zoro!” He laughed. “Sanji’s going to get married with a guy – uh, what’s his name? Kata… _yuri_?”

“Katakuri,” Sora corrected.

“There! Yes! Katakuri!” The captain laughed again and put his hands on his hips. “He’s Big Mom’s son, but don’t worry ‘cause I won’t–”

In a split second, Zoro was on him. The swordsman’s hands were curled tightly on his captain’s vest, pulling him closer to him to shout at his face, “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT SOONER, LUFFY?!”

The captain frowned at him and grasped his wrist. “I said I forgot to tell you!” he shouted back. “And it doesn’t matter because I won’t let Sanji get married with him anyway! He’s my nakama and he’s staying on my ship!”

“That’s not an excuse!” His fists tightened around the fabric. “You should’ve told me something as important as that!”

“Why? Will it change anything?” Luffy asked. “You knowing about that marriage, would you have done something to stop Sanji from going?” The captain managed to pry his nakama’s hands away from his vest. And when they were apart again, he looked at the swordsman seriously. “He doesn’t want to leave. We both know that. But something _pushed_ him to do so. Don’t belittle his decision, Zoro. It wasn’t selfish in the slightest.”

Luffy was right. He was goddamn right that Zoro wanted to scream. The cook sacrificed himself – _again_ – for all of them. “That selfless idiot,” the swordsman muttered under his breath.

“The only thing that we can do now is to follow him and stop that wedding,” Luffy said.

Sighing, Zoro said, “Sorry I snapped at you, captain.”

Luffy’s mouth stretched into a wide grin and he tapped Zoro’s shoulder. “It’s fine! I’m glad you understand.”

Luffy carried Sora back to the Sunny, with Vallo and Ranport immediately following him inside the infirmary. The captain came back after a while and told the crew about Sanji’s decision. “Oh god,” Nami uttered in shock, “Sanji-kun’s actually going to the wedding?”

“There won’t be any wedding.”

The Strawhats attention turned to their swordsman. His arms were crossed over his chest, determination written all over his face as his grey eye danced with a certain kind of stern emotion that only Zoro was capable of.

“If that idiot is going to marry someone,” he said as a smirk played across his lips, “then I’ll make sure as hell that that person is going to be _me_.”

The crew couldn’t help but grin and snicker at the shameless declaration of their swordsman. Nami laughed and she wanted to punch Zoro in the gut for being so sappy and stubborn at the same time at a moment like this.

Luffy arranged his straw hat on his head and smiled broadly at them, “Well, what are we waiting for? We have a wedding to crash!”

“Aye!” the crew yelled out as fists were thrown in the air.

-TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And nooooooow, we're officially entering the Whole Cake Island Arc! (With a few revisions of course)
> 
>  **FAQs:**  
>  Q: Are you still doing your collaboration with StarkBlack?  
> A: Yes! We've been both busy lately, with our personal affairs and own stuff, but we're still writing the fic. We hope to bring it to you guys this year. 
> 
> Q: When will you update?  
> A: I update on my free time. I'm currently a Med student and I can't promise anything, but you can check out this story from time to time to see if there's an update. (Tip: Probably check it on weekends?)
> 
> Q: How many chapters do you have left for Of Blond Hair And Blue Eyes?  
> A: Aww man, this question. I still don't know, but I'm 100% sure that the Whole Cake Island Arc will be the last thing that will happen in this fic. I won't include the whole arc of course, it'll be too long and draggy, but I'm picking out a few important events and will kind of twist them up. ;)
> 
> If you have any questions, you can send me an [**ask**](https://lady-elocin.tumblr.com/ask) on Tumblr or a tweet on Twitter [**@LadyElocin**](https://twitter.com/LadyElocin). I forgot to mention it before, but yes, I've recently made a twitter account and I'm happy that I can talk to some of you guys!


	36. Pain And Comfort

_**[Chio-chan](https://chio-chanartbox.tumblr.com/) ** made an art for **[Chapter 24](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11574693/chapters/28284345)**! Scroll down until the bottom of that chapter to view it. It's very lovely! You can send your love to her on [Tumblr](http://chio-chanartbox.tumblr.com)!_

* * *

 

**Chapter 36: Pain And Comfort**

“Perospero-sama’s ship will arrive in three days.”

The porcelain cup in his hand froze halfway to his mouth. He let his scarf pool around the lower half of his face and he turned his head around to look behind him, his dark brown eyes flicking to the maid standing a few feet away from him and noticing the slight tremble shaking her clasped hands.

Putting the cup down on the saucer placed atop the coffee table, he stood up from the couch and walked toward the large window. It was a sunny day. Mama was probably in a pleasant mood.

“Send a messenger to my brother,” he ordered the maid, “I want the Vinsmokes here as soon as possible. Mama doesn’t like waiting.”

The maid bowed. “Right away, my lord.”

* * *

 

Zoro wiped the sweat off his forehead. It was a hot day and he was forced to take the top of his robe off. Tossing the white towel over his shoulder, he settled his stare at his son in front of him. Kaitarou was holding a wooden sword, swinging it toward the dummy that Usopp made for him.

The kid’s eyebrows were pulled together in concentration, sweat beading over his forehead and drenching his neck and shirt. “Lower your stance,” Zoro said and put his hands on his son’s shoulder, bending his knees a bit more. “Maintain that posture. Then attack.”

The kid followed and his hits became more powerful as the blunt edge of his wooden sword whacked the dummy. A pleased grin plastered on the swordsman’s face as he watched his son. He was good. He’d be a great swordsman in no time.

“Are you sure Sanji won’t kick your ass for that?”

Usopp settled beside him, leaning against the ship’s railing as he folded his hands over his chest. Zoro cocked an eyebrow at him. “He didn’t say that Kaitarou can’t handle swords.”

“Well, yeah, but…” The sharpshooter’s eyes shifted toward the kid. He was so immersed in his training – that keen focus, discipline and determination – and for a moment, he could see a flash of their swordsman’s image in front of him. “I’ve seen him kick the shit out of you. I mean, not _really_ kick the shit out of you. But I’ve seen this kid crack an Adam wood and rock a whole ship. I’ve always thought he’d take over Sanji.”

That shocking moment replayed inside Zoro’s head. He couldn’t deny the fact that he had felt the untrained _power_ in his son’s legs when he attacked him. If he hadn’t dodged, then those kicks might’ve probably cracked a rib or two.

“I don’t really care who he takes after. If he wants to kick asses, then that’s fine. If he wants to cut shit up, that’s also fine with me,” Zoro answered. “When he grows older, I’ll let him decide. Even if the cook bitches about it, that’s only his annoying mouth talking because I know he probably thinks the same thing.”

His grey eye landed on his son. “I don’t know how to kick ass, so I’m teaching him what I know. We’re entering enemy territory so he has to be able to defend himself. If I were to decide, I don’t even want him to hold a weapon and stain his hands with blood. I know the cook wants that, too, that’s why he left and hid for a few years in that island. But it’s different now, and we can’t run away from this reality.”

He knew that his son had to learn how to fight for himself sooner or later. It was his fate. It was the kind of world they lived in: fight or be killed.

Usopp watched his nakama solemnly. Zoro’s expression was uptight for a moment, but it immediately faded away and molded into something that was almost peaceful. Particularly every time Kaitarou landed a few great hits on the dummy and the corner of Zoro’s lips would twitch up into a proud, fatherly smile.

He saw the affection in the swordsman’s eye, how he looked at his son with fondness and how the small kid could easily put a smile on the stoic man’s face. Zoro was like a closed wall, with only a few privileged people permitted to pass through that barrier. And somehow, he was glad that he was among those “few” who could see his nakama’s soft nature.

“You’ve matured, Zoro,” he said and the swordsman’s stare shifted to him. Smiling, he added, “You and Sanji changed. In a good way. Having Kaitarou made you grow up into responsible adults.”

Usopp laughed as a blush crept on the swordsman’s cheeks. “Stop saying crappy things, idiot,” Zoro said with a failed attempt to make it sound threatening.

The sharpshooter tapped his nakama’s shoulder. “I’d better go. I don’t want Nami nagging to me about how I’m not able to upgrade her Clima Tact.”

Zoro grunted and made a dismissive wave toward Usopp. Nami would undoubtedly bitch at him about that.

Luffy asked for Pekoms’ help to guide them through Big Mom’s territory. He was their enemy at first, but when the crew saved his mink tribe in Zou, the Big Mom pirate expressed his deep gratitude for the Strawhats.

He was hesitant at first, labeling his assistance as betrayal or mutiny or somewhere along that line. But Luffy assured him that he wouldn’t be tangled up with this mess and that he could still go back to Big Mom’s crew if he desired.

Perhaps it was that word which made Pekoms change his mind: _nakama._ The mink regarded his Zou tribe as his nakama, his family, and somehow, he could relate how difficult it was for the crew to have lost one of their own.

Kaitarou sighed heavily and fell on his back in exhaustion. The sword thumped on the lawn and Zoro chuckled as he watched his son take in deep breaths. He crouched beside him, smiling, “You tired?”

The kid cracked an eye open and nodded. Zoro took the towel from his shoulder and said, “Come here.”

The little kid sat up, crossing his legs on the lawn and rubbing his eye through the back of his hand. Zoro wiped the sweat off his son’s forehead, going down to the sides of his face and around his neck.

“Daddy, you smell weird,” the kid said as Zoro wiped the sweat at the nape of his neck.

The swordsman snorted. “Shut up.”

“But that’s your towel. It’s smelly,” the kid argued and emphasized his disgust with a wrinkle of his nose.

Zoro did laugh at that. “You’re as prissy as your Papa.” He threw the towel over his shoulder and helped his son stand up. “Let’s get you something to eat.” He held his son’s hand as they walked toward the galley.

Kaitarou stuck his nose inside his shirt and grimaced. “Can I get a bath?”

Zoro looked down to his son. “We can have one after we eat.”

“Can we go now?”

With a raised eyebrow, Zoro asked, “Why?”

“I stink,” Kaitarou replied.

Zoro’s lips slowly curved into an amused smile which eventually evolved into a laugh. “Yeah,” he said, “definitely as prissy as your Papa.”

* * *

 

Nami stared at the map which Pekoms gave to her. It wasn’t easy getting to Whole Cake Island. There were a lot of islands which they had to pass through, different confusing routes, tons of guard towers–

“Nami!”

“Gah!” She jumped on her feet as Luffy’s rubber head suddenly appeared in front of her. “I told you not to do that!” Snatching the captain’s head in her arm, she watched as his long neck pulled his body from Sunny’s head and snapped back to his normal shape. Not that he’d been normal ever since she’d met him for fuck’s sake.

“But Nami!” Luffy whined as the navigator wrestled him into a headlock. “I’m just going to ask if we’re already near Big Mom’s island.”

The navigator sighed. “No,” she answered as she released the captain. She snatched the map from the wooden floor and showed it to him. “There are 34 islands surrounding Big Mom’s main territory, the Whole Cake Island. We’re nearest to this island–”she pointed at the drawing of Cacao Island “–but it will still take us about a week to reach it. Even if Pekoms manages to take us through the guards, without his help or without a more detailed map of Totto Land, I can’t devise the best route for us to sail on. It’s an unknown territory and we might get lost.”

Luffy made a face. “Eh? That sucks.”

Rolling her eyes, Nami smacked the back of the captain’s head. “Wait patiently, idiot. We’ll eventually get to Sanji-kun.”

Luffy rubbed the soreness behind his head, muttering a few childish nonsensical things, but before he could go back to his spot on Sunny’s head, Nami stopped him with a question. “Aren’t you worried about Law?” she asked. “I mean, he and his crew are missing and we haven’t heard from them since the last attack from that Candyman. Do you think they’re all right?”

The captain thought for a moment. “Hm. Have Torao called us through the den den mushi?”

Nami shook her head. “No.”

At that, Luffy’s mouth stretched into a wide grin. “Then he’s fine! If he’s in trouble, then he’s going to call for our help, right? If he’s fighting someone, then I know he can beat that bastard’s ass up! I trust him!”

The captain stretched his arms and flung himself on top of Sunny’s head. Nami stared in slight shock at how calm Luffy was about Law’s disappearance. They were indeed close, but they had enough trust with each other’s strengths. Shaking her head and hiding the smile curving her lipstick-stained lips, she focused her eyes on the map in her hands and thought for a moment just what a kind-hearted idiot her captain really was.

* * *

 

Sanji never wanted to be here.

He felt as though every breath, every heartbeat and every second he spent in this large dining room with _these_ people was an utter waste of his life. It was like a curse to be here. To be with _them_ again after seventeen years.

When _they_ arrived a few days ago, those tormented days when he was a child suddenly flashed back in his mind and he couldn’t help but feel tortured and angry at the same time. _They_ were the reason why those nightmares haunted him at night when he was still young; why he was always beaten up black and blue for no reason, and why he had thought his existence as something that was unwanted and unfit for this world.

_“Sanji.”_

His shoulders tensed. That deep husky voice never changed. It never failed to send a chill down his spine. Trying to maintain his composure and feinting nonchalance, he wiped his mouth with a table napkin and flicked his eyes to that hateful man.

To his _father._

“What?” he said flatly.

“Where’s he?”

Sanji’s eyebrows pulled together. “Who?”

“The kid,” Judge said, “my _grandson._ ”

Sanji heard a low growl deep inside his throat and before he could stop himself, he slammed his hands on the table, abruptly standing up and toppling his chair on the floor. “Don’t call him that. He’s not your grandson,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

Niji and Yonji snickered at his outburst and his eye flinched. “Sanji.”

His eye landed on her sister who had her eyes closed, a displeased expression on her face as her mouth was set into a thin line. “Sit,” she commanded.

With one last glare to his brothers, Sanji grudgingly sat down as a maid immediately picked up his chair. “I’m sorry for letting your dainty hands clean up my mess, mademoiselle,” Sanji apologized to the lady.

The maid looked shocked, with wide eyes and parted lips, but when she regained herself, a blush crept on her freckled cheeks and she said, “N-No, my prince. Please don’t apologize. I’m happy to serve you.”

Sanji opened his mouth to say that a lowly human being like him did not deserve to be served by a lovely lady like herself when a snort caught his attention. Yonji had a nasty smirk on his face, shaking his head as he cut the steak on his plate.

“What’s funny?” Sanji asked in irritation.

 “Nah.” Yonji ate a piece of his meat. “Just thinking how more awful you’ve become these past several years.”

“I thought you’ve only sympathized with rats,” Niji added. “Now you’re being all too modest with a lowly servant like her.

The lady recoiled in embarrassment and fear and Sanji wouldn’t be one to let an insult like that slide. “Oi,” he said threateningly with a cock of his head. “You jerks should just shut the fuck up. You’re too pampered to know how difficult it is to serve another people, to cook meals and feed others.”

His foul words seemed to tick Yonji off, but before he could yell at him, Niji interrupted the conversation. “We don’t need to serve another people, Sanji,” he explained, “We’re princes of this kingdom. We’re royalties and must be served by the lower beings. There’s a hierarchy even in the animal kingdom. The strongest preys on the weak. The most powerful claims the territory. That’s just how it is.”

“Your logic is sick,” Sanji spat venomously. “I couldn’t believe that I share the same blood as you.”

“I could tell you the same thing,” Yonji countered with a frown. “You’re a disgrace to this kingdom.”

“And you’re a disgrace to humanity,” Sanji said as he glared daggers toward his brother.

“That’s enough,” Judge said and the conversation died down. He grabbed the wine glass and swirled its contents, staring at the purple liquid which tasted better than grape wine. The liquor was made with one of his genetically modified fruit – a hybrid formulated from the best exotic fruits in the Grand Line.

“I’ve always known that you’re the special one, Sanji,” he said as he sipped on his wine. “I know everything about that drug which your mother had taken, its potency, the side effects. It’s a disgrace to have a mutated child like you, but who would have thought that you can be of use to this kingdom?”

Mutated child. That was fucking sick. He could feel his anger rising up a few notches. How dare this man regard him as an object? A failed experiment? But that was what he was, right? A failure. Reiju told him everything when they were still young, about their father’s wish to bring back the glory of Germa kingdom and to make him and his brothers as emotionless killing machines.

His mother intervened with the plan and _he_ was the living result. He didn’t know how grateful he was to her. If she hadn’t done that, then he would have probably be standing on a mountain of dead people, his hands stained with blood and holding not a kitchen knife but a sword, a gun, or a deadly weapon. And he wouldn’t bat an eye as he shot an innocent man to his death. An emotionless killing machine. That was what he would be if it weren’t for his mother.

“Leave my crew alone,” Sanji demanded. “I’ve already severed my ties with all of you seventeen years ago! I have a life now – a dream – something which I failed to have when I was staying in this hellhole.”

“I don’t care about your life, Sanji,” Judge responded seriously. “You will do this marriage whether you like it or not. You will marry Charlotte Katakuri.”

Sanji gritted his teeth as his hands balled into tight fists. “I’m not marrying anyone,” he said defiantly.

His father’s eyebrow rose up. There was a moment of tense silence, the longest five seconds of Sanji’s life, before his father pulled a paper from his belt and showed it to him. “Is it because of this man?”

Sanji’s jaw dropped. It was Zoro’s wanted poster. “H-How…?”

“Green hair,” Judge said and he pulled another picture behind the poster. “It’s easy to see the resemblance, isn’t it?”

Sanji bit the inside of his cheek. It was a picture of Zoro and Kaitarou in Bartero Island, holding hands and walking along the busy street of the marketplace.

He felt as if his tongue was cut, unable to form words or utter a single sound. He just sat there, frozen, wide-eyed and with his heart beating a thousand mile. He shouldn’t be this shocked. His father had the means to know everything. If he knew about his relationship with Zeff, then he would undoubtedly be able to know who his lover was.

But what terrified him wasn’t the fact that his father knew about Zoro, or about Kaitarou, it was the mere idea of what his father could _do_ to them.

His father was connected to Big Mom and both parties were expecting a favorable outcome from his marriage. If he declined, then not only Germa 66 would hunt his crew but also Big Mom’s. Kaido was already on their heels; they couldn’t afford another yonkō lashing out at them.

“That’s it,” Judge said, pleased at Sanji’s pale face, “that’s the reaction I’m waiting for. Now, you understand, right, Sanji? You can’t escape from this. If you decline this marriage, that old chef Zeff, your crew, your lover and your son would all be put at risk. If you love them, then you will do what’s best for them.”

Sanji could hear snickers from his brothers, the dull thumps of his father’s boots as he walked out of the dining hall, but all of those sounds were drowned by the loud beating of his heart. He felt sweat glide down the side of his face. His nails were digging half-moons on his palms but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Sanji.” Reiju stood beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ve made it past several islands. We’re arriving in Whole Cake Island in a few days. You’ll be seeing your fiancé immediately after docking. You better rest.”

When Sanji didn’t respond, Reiju just closed her eyes and turned around to leave. His brothers followed her with a few jabs to his head, just for the purpose of annoying him or feeding their ego.

When the door closed behind them, his eyes dropped down on the golden cuffs trapping his wrists, trapping his _whole_ being. He couldn’t escape. He couldn’t get away from this.

His hands automatically gripped on his hair, eyes shutting tightly, teeth bared as he doubled over in his seat. “Shit!” he cursed.

He couldn’t let Zeff die. He couldn’t let his crew be involved in this terrible mess. Zoro and Kaitarou. He couldn’t jeopardize their safety. They were too precious to him and he couldn’t let anything bad happen to them.

“My prince.” The maid reluctantly walked to his side, unsure of what to do with Sanji’s pitiful state. “Please, tell me if there’s something I can do. I will do anything you ask me, my lord.”

Sanji dropped his hands limply on his lap. He straightened up and tried to smile at the lovely lady, but it only appeared pathetic even for him. “It’s okay, my lady,” he said. “I’m afraid you can’t do anything about it. But I’ll be fine. I’m happy that you’re worried about me.”

The maid’s eyebrows pulled together in sympathy. “I’m sorry, my lord.” She bowed. “Just call for me if you need something. I’ll immediately run to assist you.”

However, the lady was only a few steps away when Sanji stood up and said, “Um, actually, can I ask for a favor?”

Turning her head around, her face lit up in delight at his request, “Of course, my prince. Anything you want.”

Sanji smiled and her cheeks heated up at the unexpected kindness of the prince. “Do you have a den den mushi?” he asked. “I think I have to make a quick call.”

* * *

 

1,985…

1,986…

1,987…

“Zoro!”

1,988…

“Oi, Zoro!”

1,989…

“Hey, can you hear me?”

Bringing his arm down to close his count to one thousand nine-hundred and ninety, Zoro ended his vertical push up training with a sigh. He could feel his muscles yelling at him but that was what he wanted, the exhaustion, the strain. It kept his blood running.

He snatched the towel off the floor of the crow’s nest and opened the hatch. “What?” he yelled down at Usopp.

“Get your ass down here! Sanji’s calling right now!” the sharpshooter replied and Zoro felt his heart stop for a second.

He scrambled down the ladder faster than he’d ever had. “This way! In the galley!” Usopp yelled at him as Zoro followed him. “Ugh! I said this way, Zoro!”

Zoro grunted. “I _know!_ ” He turned a full hundred and eighty and flung the door to the galley. His nakama were hunched around the den den mushi and Nami was shouting something at the conical device attached to it.

“Sanji-kun! You can’t just–” Nami said but was cut when Zoro snatched the transmitter from her hand.

“Cook?!” he yelled at the device as his heart pounded hard inside his chest.

 _“You disrespectful bastard. Did you just snatch the fucking thing from Nami-san?”_ he heard Sanji say and he couldn’t help but smile at his voice.

“It’s okay, Sanji-kun. I’m used to this brute,” Nami said with a roll of her eyes.

“Where are you, Cook?” Zoro asked and there was silence for a few seconds.

_“Uh… can I talk to you for a moment?”_

His nakama seemed to get the signal and they all left the galley to give the two the privacy they needed. “No, Luffy. You’re coming with us!” Nami said as she dragged Luffy through his shirt.

“Eh? But I want to hear Sanji too!”

After the door closed behind them, Zoro sat down on the couch beside the table where the den den mushi was placed and said, “They’re gone now, Cook. What do you want to talk about?”

_“How’s Kaitarou?”_

“He’s fine,” he answered. “He’s with Sora right now.” When Sanji hummed in understanding, he continued, “I’m teaching him how to handle swords, and you can’t bitch to me about it.”

He smirked. It was a joke and the cook would probably yell at him for it like “don’t let my precious kid handle your swords!” or “hell no, he’s doing the Blackleg style and he’s going to be the best chef in the world after me!”

Except that what he heard wasn’t exactly what he was expecting.

_“Really? That’s great. Keep training him.”_

Zoro paused. There were… a few things that were terribly wrong about that. “Cook?” he said as worry started to set in. “Are you okay?”

_“Yeah. Yeah. Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”_

Zoro frowned. There was no way that was true. “I know you, Cook. You’re doing this for us. Stop sacrificing yourself.”

He heard the blond sigh before he said, _“There are things that I must do alone, Zoro.”_

“And this thing isn’t one of them,” he replied as his hand gripped tighter around the transmitter, “Don’t go to that damn wedding. We both know you don’t want that.”

There was a pause from the other side of the line and Zoro was afraid for a moment that Sanji had hung up. “Cook?”

_“You don’t know what I want.”_

Zoro’s heart skipped a beat and he felt his blood froze in his veins. Sanji’s voice was low and cold. Like he was talking to a stranger or an enemy. And that wasn’t a very good sign for Zoro.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Zoro asked, frowning.

 _“Don’t come for me. We’re talking about Big Mom here. She’s a yonk_ _ō_ _and there’s no way that our crew can take on her entire fleet.”_

Zoro’s hand balled into a fist. “Are you doubting our crew? Are you doubting Luffy?” It was a fucking betrayal. Sanji never doubted Luffy’s strength and hearing those words come out from his mouth, of all people, angered Zoro.

_“I’m just stating the reality here.”_

No. This wasn’t Sanji. He was pretending. He wouldn’t say things like these. “Stop lying to yourself, Cook,” Zoro said, “We’re coming for you whether you like it or not. I’m going to haul your sorry ass back on this ship and I’m going to beat the shit out of you until it gets through your thick skull how much you matter to me.”

There was silence. And a shaky breath. He knew it. Sanji was lying.

_“Zoro, please, just… just stop.”_

“No,” the swordsman said firmly, “I’ve lost you for four years, Cook. I’m not going to lose you again this time.”

He could practically see Sanji hunched over the den den mushi from the other side, how his blue eyes were tightly shut, how his curly eyebrows were knotted together in helplessness. And Zoro wanted nothing but to hold him and kiss his nightmares away.

“Sanji…” He gripped the transmitter with both hands, bringing it close to his mouth so that the cook wouldn’t miss a single word, so that he could clearly hear what his heart wanted to convey, to whom it was beating for. He closed his eye and said with heartfelt sincerity, “I love you.”

He heard Sanji’s breath hitch in his throat. Zoro was acutely aware of the rapid beating of his heart, of the pulsating feeling inside his ears for the outspoken declaration of his feelings toward the cook.

 _“Oh God…”_ He could imagine the cook shaking, _“…oh God, Zoro, I… fuck. I love you, too. I fucking love you. God. I just… fuck.”_

“Then come back,” Zoro whispered, “If you love me, then come back to me.”

He heard Sanji sigh a few times. And after several moments of hesitation, Sanji finally said, _“I can’t.”_

Zoro swallowed thickly and he tried not to mind how his heart dropped down to his stomach. “Why?” he managed to ask.

_“Zoro… take care of Kaitarou. Make him strong and make sure he realizes his dream. Also, tell him I love him.”_

The swordsman’s mouth parted. “Cook?”

_“You have to be the greatest, Moss Head. No matter what.”_

Zoro felt panic rise in his system. “Cook, what are you–”

_“Tell the others thank you and sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”_

“What the hell–”

_“Good bye, Zoro.”_

“Cook, no. No, wait–!”

Zoro froze… and the next thing he heard was the sharp pitch of a broken line. He stared at the transmitter in shock. Did the cook just hang up?

“Hello? Cook?” he tried to say again but he could no longer hear a reception from the other line. “Shit.” He tried to dial random numbers on the den den mushi, occasionally flipping it over to see if there was a button which could connect him back to the last caller but to no avail.

After a few minutes of futile trials, Zoro finally gave up and the transmitter fell from his hand. He hunched over as his fingers curled on his hair in frustration. “Fuck,” he cursed breathily.

There was a throb in his chest. It hurt. He couldn’t let it happen. He couldn’t let Sanji slip through his fingers again. He was just right _there_ more than a week ago, within an arm’s reach, within his grasp. How could things turn out this way so suddenly? It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fucking fair.

“Daddy?”

When Zoro opened his eye, he saw Kaitarou standing on the doorway with Sora beside him. The kid walked toward him and settled himself between his father’s thighs. He looked up to him with worried blue eyes and Zoro felt a sting in his chest as he remembered how similar the kid’s face was with Sanji.

“Is Daddy okay?” Kaitarou asked worriedly.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay,” Zoro said as he tried to smile at his son.

“Is Papa okay?”

The words in Zoro’s mouth died. He wasn’t sure how Sanji was doing right now, but he knew that he was suffering and he couldn’t let the cook go through that. Sanji was in pain, just as how much he was in right now.

The swordsman placed his hands on both sides of Kaitarou’s head and leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead. When he pulled back, he stared at his son with a determined and reassuring eye, “Your Papa will be all right. We’re going to get him, okay?”

A smile slowly curved the kid’s lips and he nodded. Zoro’s mouth twitched up and he hugged his son tightly, feeling the pain and heaviness inside his chest dissipate a bit.

Kaitarou’s arms went tighter around Zoro’s body and he buried his face against his father’s chest. “I won’t let anything happen to Daddy and Papa.”

At that, a genuine smile stretched across Zoro’s lips and he closed his eye to feel more of the warmth and comfort being offered by his beloved son.

* * *

 

Sanji sighed as he felt the back of his eyes sting with unwanted tears. This was so fucking hard. When he said good bye to Zoro, he felt as if his heart was being literally ripped apart. The pain was insanely unbearable that he had to hang up immediately or he'd cry right there at that moment.

"My prince?"

Sanji's eyes opened and he flashed the lovely maid a half-hearted smile. "Thank you for lending me your den den mushi. I don't want to use the one in the castle. They might track my crew down."

The maid bowed her head as a worried look dawned on her face. "Pardon me for asking, my lord. But the one you were talking with... is that your lover?"

Sanji didn't really want to talk about it, but he also didn't want to be rude to a lady politely asking him a question. "Yes," he answered as simple as he could.

"Do you love him?" she added.

Sanji swallowed. "I do."

"Then why are you marrying another man, my prince? You deserve to be with the one you love and with the one who loves you the most."

Those words added salt to Sanji's wounds. His misery probably became apparent as the lovely maid immediately asked for his forgiveness. "I'm sorry, my prince! It was rude of me to–"

"It's okay, my lady," Sanji said, "I just... have to do this."

"I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically.

"Don't be," Sanji replied with a smile even though every fiber of his being felt sorry for his miserable life. "There's only one choice left for me."

The maid looked at him hopefully but once again, Sanji had disappointed a beautiful lady.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, together with all the emotions that were threatening to rise up and lodge inside his chest, he said, "I have to forget about Zoro and Kaitarou."

-TBC

* * *

**[Anytramaksnisic](https://anytramaksnisic.tumblr.com/) made all these beautiful artworks for me and I'm crying. Send your love to her on [Tumblr!](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4604/28373354129_6f1fb151e3_o.jpg)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I've been so busy lately. But thank you very much for reading up to this point. I appreciate it!


	37. Father And Son

**[Mossybrows](https://mossybrows.tumblr.com/)**  and **[Penumbrazxs](http://penumbrazxs.tumblr.com)**  drew amazing artworks for chapters  **[1](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11574693/chapters/26008119), [25](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11574693/chapters/28569928)**   **and[27](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11574693/chapters/28986390)! ** You guys are wonderful. Seriously. I don't deserve you. Thank you very much. *cries*

P.S. Penumbrazxs made chapter 27 extra special and _hot_ for you guys. Make sure to check it out. ;)

* * *

 

**Chapter 37: Father And Son**

It would’ve been so terrible if it wasn’t so funny. An island full of chocolate and sugary food – Zoro could only cringe. He’d never had a sweet tooth in his entire goddamn life and if sake was the first amazing thing in his food list, then the last would be anything between “sugary” and “sweet.”

“Candies!” Chopper exclaimed.

“Chocolate!” Luffy added as their eyes both turned into fucking stars.

Nami grabbed their clothes before they could jump from the ship, lecturing them about being stupid for: one, they were famous pirates and they could be recognized; two, Big Mom pirates might have prepared a trap for them somewhere in the island, and three, well, for just being plainly _stupid_.

“I made you through the guards but things will get tougher from here,” Pekoms explained. “Each island in Totto Land was run by Big Mom’s children and this first stop, the Cacao Island, is the secret route used by her children to get to her main territory, the Whole Cake Island. It would be more or less week of travel from here so I suggest you’d better replenish your supplies while you’re on this island.”

“Chocolate!” Luffy said as he threw his fists in the air.

Great. Now Zoro would eat nothing but cakes and candies for a week. Sighing, his face dropped on his hand in defeat and muttered, “Oh, hell no.”

“Daddy.” Kaitarou tugged on his father’s coat and looking up to him, he said, “Can I get chocolates?”

The corner of Zoro’s lips quirked up and he patted his son’s head. “Sure, son.”

The kid grinned broadly at him and Zoro was sure that his head got filled with feathers after seeing his son smile brightly at him. Kaitarou had always held a soft spot inside of him no matter how stiff and surly he might have looked on the outside.

After rounding the coast and finding a safe spot to hide Sunny in, Nami explained the plan to his crew, telling them that they would have to split into three groups. “Franky will stay on the ship together with Vallo-san, Ranport-san and Sora-chan.”

“Aye, Nami-sis!” Franky said as he did his signature pose. “I will protect them with my suuuuper strength!”

Nodding, Nami continued, “Since we’re already on this island, it’s just right to use this chance to get a copy of Big Mom’s Road Poneglyph. Robin asked me if she can ask anyone to come with her.”

“I will go with Robin-san,” Brook volunteered.

“Thank you,” Robin said with a smile.

“Great. Since you guys are going to sneak in, you have to keep it low and going in a small number will make you inconspicuous,” Nami explained and looked at Robin apologetically, “I’m sorry, Robin. But you and Brook will be the only ones on the second team.”

“I understand, Nami,” the archeologist said, “I agree with your plan. I’m happy with Brook’s assistance and I promise you that we will be safe.”

Nami sighed and smiled at her. “Thanks,” she said, directing her attention to the remaining members of her crew, “the third team will be the ones to face the enemies head-on and bring Sanji-kun back. I, Chopper, Usopp, Luffy and Zoro will be on the team, and as much as I don’t want to,” she looked at the little kid beside their swordsman and her brown eyes saddened a little for having to come up with this decision, “Kaitarou will have to come with us.”

“What?!” Usopp said in shock. “Are you out of your mind, Nami? You can’t drag a little kid on a battlefield!” he said as if it was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard in his entire life.

“I know!” Nami countered exasperatedly. “You think it’s easy to come up with this decision? Sanji-kun has decided to face his problem alone and no matter what we do, no matter what Zoro does, it would be hard to convince him to come back. And if there’s someone who can do a better job on hauling his stubborn ass back on the ship than us, then it would be his _son_.”

Usopp swallowed and his eyes shifted to Kaitarou. The kid was staring back at him – so pure and innocent that his stomach churned gruesomely at having to place the little kid’s life on the line. But Nami was right. Their best shot was Kaitarou and they all knew that Sanji would not turn his own beloved son down.

“Kaitarou is strong. I believe in him,” Luffy said and that alone sounded so reassuring.

Usopp’s gaze darted to Zoro, who had his eye closed as his face was set into deep concentration. “Zoro, what’s your thought on this?”

The swordsman’s grey eye opened slowly and as his gaze locked with the sharpshooter’s, he answered, “I’m taking Kaitarou with me.” His hand clutched around Wado’s hilt. “We’re both bringing the cook back.”

Kaitarou nodded to his father’s words and determination lit up the flames in his crystal blue eyes. “I’ll help bring Papa back.”

The crew smiled at his braveness and Zoro couldn’t be prouder than that. Luffy crouched in front of the kid, flashing him his usual childish grin, and placed his straw hat on the kid’s head. “Take care of this for me, will you, Kai-chan?” the captain said. “You have to hand this back to me after we’ve saved your Papa, do you understand?”

After blinking at him for a few seconds, Kaitarou gripped the edges of the straw hat with both hands and grinning, he said, “I will!”

“Shi-shi-shi!” The captain stood up and put his hands on his hips. “Now, that’s my nakama!”

Zoro’s lips curled into a smile. It was a very Luffy thing to do, to entrust his most precious possession in the hands of people he believed in. His straw hat was like a promise – a vow to see each other again after a long journey ahead, a sign of faith and a reason to keep moving forward, to struggle against the odds so that you could return the priceless treasure to its rightful owner.

It was a promise to keep each other alive.

* * *

 

“Are you sure you don’t need us to drop you off to another island?” Nami asked.

Putting on the hood of her cloak, Rina shook her head gently and smiled. “No, it’s okay, Nami-san. I’ve already caused your crew enough trouble. Especially to Pirate-san.” Her dark eyes shifted to Zoro. “I’m really sorry. I pray to the gods that they help you get Sanji-san back. Safe and sound.”

Zoro nodded and Rina smiled. “I’ve put enough medicinal herbs in your bag and I’ve written a prescription for you,” Chopper said. “Make sure to drink those vitamins. They’re good for your child.”

After thanking the crew for their hospitality and apologizing once more, this time to Sora and Vallo. She had talked to them before, apologized a million times and even though they’d forgiven her, the guilt was still for her to bear.

Rina felt Rey’s arm around her shoulders and she leaned in to the comfort of her lover. Before she could turn away, Zoro said, “Hey.”

When she turned her head to the side and locked eyes with the swordsman, she heard him say, “You can call me Zoro.”

Rina’s lips parted and she felt another thorn being lifted from her heart. It was just a simple sentence, but it meant a lot more for her. Her lower lip quivered as she felt tears burning at the back of her eyes. “Thank you,” she said breathily, “Zoro-san.”

The swordsman smiled a little at her and she turned her back to the crew with half of the heavy load lifted off her chest.

She was forgiven.

* * *

 

 Cacao Island was insane. Zoro didn’t know how anyone could build a whole island made up of chocolates, but then again, this was the Grand Line and that alone was enough of an explanation.

“Okay, so what do we do?” Usopp asked after the crew split up into their respective groups. They were hiding in an alley along the busy street of a shopping district. He didn’t know how they got here, but it was hard enough to keep Luffy and Chopper off those chocolate buildings. An officer caught them eating a giant restaurant made up of chocolate bars and syrup, shouting at them that it was forbidden to eat that type of structure, and Usopp didn’t even let him finish his sanction for he just grabbed Chopper and ran away with him, with the others following his tail shortly.

“Sunny will be staying here on Cacao Island. It will be dangerous to set it on sail in Big Mom’s territory for it can easily be detected,” Nami explained and laid out the map which Pekoms had provided for them. “We’ll be taking the passenger vessels and hop from island to island. It’s risky but it’s better than being busted while sailing on a pirate ship and failing the mission before it even gets to the first level. After we obtain Sanji-kun from Whole Cake,” she pointed at the drawing of the island, “we’re going to steal one of Big Mom’s ships and use it as our getaway vessel. Luffy and I will be in charge of that.”

“Eh? But I want to kick Big Mom’s ass!” Luffy complained.

“Idiot!” Nami punched his head. “We’re not here to fight a yonkō! We’re here to save Sanji-kun, do you get it?”

Luffy pouted and rubbed the bump on his head, muttering “boo” and “meanie” towards Nami.

Sighing and massaging circles on her temple, the navigator shifted her attention back to her earlier explanation. “As I was saying…”

“You won’t have to steal one of Big Mom’s ships.”

Everyone in the group turned their heads toward the source of that deep baritone. A shadow emerged from the alleyway and Zoro sensed an aura of familiarity from the intruder.

“You…” he said.

As the man stepped into the light, Luffy’s eyes widened and he immediately jumped off his feet and flung his arms around his neck. “ _Torao!”_ he said happily and wrapped his legs around the man’s waist. “I’ve missed you! Where have you been?”

“Wha–? Get off me!” Law complained as he struggled himself out of Luffy’s tight embrace.

Zoro’s eyebrow rose when he saw a faint hue of redness spread across the pirate doctor’s face. Whether it be embarrassment or entirely something else, Zoro was sure of one thing: there was something going on between those two.

“Heh,” he said to himself with an amused smirk, “so it’s like that.”

“What are you saying, Zoro?” Usopp asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“Nothing,” he said, grinning.

“Daddy.”

Zoro looked down to his son who was offering him the last ball of chocolate on his stick. “I’m full. But Papa said not to waste food.”

Zoro’s eye landed on the sweet food in his son’s hand and he wanted to cringe. He looked at Usopp for help but the sharpshooter just shook his head at him and mouthed “I’m good” to him. Should he give it to Luffy then?

But his captain, Nami and Chopper were all talking to Law, asking him a few questions and probably discussing an important matter with him. Sighing in defeat, he crouched in front of his son, saying “Give it here” before he opened his mouth.

The kid moved the stick near to his father’s face and the swordsman chomped on the goddamn awful thing in one bite. Kaitarou smiled at him, clearly pleased for not wasting any of his food but totally unaware of his father’s unpleasant expression.

After shoving the nasty mixture down his throat, Zoro stood up and wiped his mouth through the back of his hand. “That’s fucking gross.”

He heard Usopp chuckle. “You’re the only one in the world who hates chocolates.” His gaze flicked to Kaitarou for a moment before returning back to Zoro with an amused glint in his eyes. “Sometimes, it sucks to be a parent, huh? Can’t say no to your adorable kid.”

Zoro rolled his eye and told him to shut up but that only made Usopp snicker more.

“Guys, we’re riding on Law’s ship,” Nami said as she walked back to them. “It’s a great idea actually. His ship is faster so it can save us a few days, plus we’ll be travelling underwater so we can bypass the guard towers.”

“But Pekoms said there are territorial sea slugs scattered under the ocean,” Usopp said.

“Well, yeah, but Law said someone will take care of them. Probably the same man who took his crew here safely so they can aid us in times like this.”

“Who?” Zoro said as his eyebrows furrowed in suspicion.

“Jinbei,” Law said as he walked toward them and rested his sword against his shoulder. “My crew and I encountered his men while that sea king was attacking us. I tried to contact you through the den den mushi but I never got through. His subordinate, Aladine, told us that Jinbei wanted me to rendezvous with you here on Cacao Island. He told me about the identity of that Candyman, that it was Big Mom’s firstborn son. And he wanted my crew to split up with yours because if we got captured together, then no one could provide transportation for your crew across Big Mom’s territory.”

His dark eyes to Luffy and a smirk crept on his thin lips. “He’s confident that your crew won’t be captured though, Mugiwara-ya.”

Luffy tipped his chin up proudly and smiled. “Of course not. My crew is the best in the Grand Line.”

The side of Law’s mouth stretched up further because of that declaration. After a moment, he spoke again, “Also, Jinbei told me about Big Mom’s plan on Blackleg-ya’s wedding. Once he sets foot on Whole Cake Island, he’ll be travelling by land towards Big Mom’s castle, the Whole Cake Chateau. The next day after that,” his gaze shifted to Zoro, “is the wedding celebration.”

The swordsman’s hands balled beside him. His teeth gritted and he swallowed thickly, feeling his heartbeat pace a bit faster. “How far are we from the cook?”

 “They’ll be arriving on Whole Cake Island in two days and a half, according to Jinbei,” Law explained.

Two days and a half. Fuck. And here they were, a whole week’s worth of travel time and the cook would have been married by the time they’d arrived. He felt panic setting in. Fuck. No. That bullshit couldn’t happen.

“I see you’re worried, Zoro-ya,” the doctor said, “but worry not. I can get you there in three days, given that there won’t be any interruptions along the way. My submarine is faster than any ship underwater.”

Zoro felt a bit relieved because of that. Thus pulling himself back together, he bent down and lifted his son up, putting both of his legs around his neck and staring back at Law, he said, “Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let’s run away from this place right now.”

* * *

 

The air inside the submarine ship had remained the same since the last time Zoro had set foot inside – a bit stale and smelling like a hospital wing. They’d been travelling for two days and one night now, and he saw nothing but darkness outside the ship’s porthole. Hell, sailing underwater sucked.

He felt something move on his side. The flame of the oil lamp placed against the metal wall flickered, casting soft shadows on his son’s face and basking him with orange glows. Kaitarou was sound asleep, curled up against Zoro’s chest and bathing in the natural warmth of his father’s skin seeping through the thin fabric of his white shirt.

Zoro’s eye softened and he ran the back of his index finger along his son’s cheek, gently and careful enough to not wake him up. The kid looked so wonderful in front of him, so perfect and precious that he wanted to keep him away from the cruel world they were living in now.

Kaitarou’s eyelashes were long and the strands were casting shadowy outlines against his cheeks. His complexion was as pale as the cook’s and his curly eyebrows were just as funny and stupid as his Papa’s. A quiet chuckle vibrated inside Zoro’s throat. He was thinking about the dumbass cook again.

This kid was _their_ child, their little mystery. He’d loved the cook before, for all the good and annoying things that he was, but giving him a precious child like Kaitarou was something which made Zoro love him more.

With his chest brimming with so much affection toward his son, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on the kid’s forehead. He lowered himself down on the cushion, carefully placing his son’s head on his bicep and throwing an arm around him, embracing him and holding him securely in place – _protecting_ him.

He buried his nose on those short green locks and closing his eye, he whispered softly, “Sleep well, my son.”

* * *

 

“We’ll be surfacing in ten minutes,” Law informed them and the crew gathered all of their things.

“Zoro.” Usopp handed him a bag and said, “They’re the things you asked for. They weren’t finished when we left the Sunny, but I borrowed the crafting room in Law’s ship so I was able to make them in time.”

The swordsman nodded as he took the bag from his nakama. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” the sharpshooter said with a smile and he turned around to leave the room, following Luffy and the others.

“What’s in the bag?” Kaitarou asked.

A smile stretched across Zoro’s lips and he pulled out the first thing he’d put his hand on inside the bag. “Wear this.” He put the brown vest over his son’s head and secured the straps on the sides together tightly. “That’s an armor,” he said, “I don’t know what your Uncle Usopp used to make this but I’m sure that it’s strong as hell.”

“It feels stuffy… and looks ugly,” the kid said as he probed the light metal with his finger.

Zoro snorted. “Don’t get your Papa’s stupid fashion sense. He’s picky and wears too much clothes.”

“But I like Papa’s clothes,” Kaitarou argued.

Zoro smiled and shook his head. “Well, whatever you say.” He pulled the last thing from the bag, his _main_ request from Usopp, and his son’s blue eyes widened when he saw what his father was holding.

The swordsman unsheathed the sword, hoisting it front of him as his eye scrutinized every little detail, the length, the width, the weight, the evenness of the blade and the sharpness. “It’s not anywhere near mine, but,” Zoro took his son’s hand and gave the hilt of the sword to him, “it will do at the moment.”

Kaitarou was looking at the weapon with wide and amazed eyes, his reflection clearly seen on the well-made blade and the hilt perfectly fitted inside his small hands. It was beautiful and specially crafted for him.

Zoro tried not to laugh at his son’s enthralled expression, because he was sure that he looked completely the same when he had his first sword when he was six years old. It was still too early for Kaitarou, but they really didn’t have any choice. His son had to try and fend for himself when the situation called for it. This sword was just a precaution and Zoro really, _really_ hoped that it wouldn’t come to a point where his son had to wield that weapon.

Zoro took the sword from Kaitarou and slid it back in its sheath. After clasping the weapon on his back and arranging the straw hat hanging behind his neck, Zoro crouched in front of his son and said, “It’s still too early for you to use a katana. You need to train harder and longer for you to wield it. But treat that sword as an extension of your being, connect with it, _bond_ with it. For that connection will be the one to save you in times of grave need. Do you understand me, son?”

Kaitarou nodded as his hands curled into fists beside him. His eyes were burning with blue flames, and Zoro completely knew that look. That spirit. That intensity. It was as if the cook was staring directly right at him.

Zoro put his fist up and flashed a grin to his son. “You and I are a team. We’re bringing your Papa back.”

Kaitarou’s lips stretched into a toothy smile and he bumped fist with his father. “Hn!”

The swordsman’s grin grew wider and he patted his hand against his son’s chest. “I’m proud to call you my son.”

The whole ship trembled around them and Zoro glanced toward the porthole. The water was gushing against them and after a while, the surrounding became brighter and brighter, bluer and clearer, and before they knew it, the whole ship rocked as it lapped against the waves, like a sea king rushing through a current, emerging from deep within the ocean floor and breaking through the surface with a bang.

Zoro squinted as a ray of sunlight hit his eye. As the rocking of the ship calmed down, he grabbed his son’s hand and looked outside the porthole once again, but instead of finding a void of darkness, he saw blue… and white. Zoro grinned.

They were finally here.

-TBC

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, a taste of LawLu for you guys. ;)
> 
> Things got a bit out of hand. I was originally planning to put the action here, but then I realized that there are certain plot points which have to be fleshed out and established in this chapter. But one thing's for sure: shit will go down in the next chapter.
> 
> P.S. I really love Kaitarou. He's an OC but I really don't care anymore.


	38. Two Thousand Men's Worth

**Chapter 38: Two Thousand Men’s Worth**

Sanji wore his large red cape halfheartedly, consciously minding his every movement but seeming to feel _nothing_. His eyes were tired, almost drooping, his blue gaze fixed into space.

He felt so hollow.

“The carriage is waiting outside,” Reiju informed him as she leaned against the doorframe. “Lighten up a bit, little brother. You’re about to see your fiancé.”

Sanji winced. “I know. You don’t have to remind me. And I’m not in any case happy about this bullshit.” He stroked the golden cuff around his wrist mindlessly, a weird habit which he’d acquired throughout their journey. He hoped to get these goddamn things off soon. _If_ ever that would happen. His fiancé was Big Mom’s son and he could only imagine what a cruel and dangerous person he was.

Thus, taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves, to swallow every bit of dismay and the need to flee from this entire mess, Sanji curled his hands into fists beside him and turned around to face his sister waiting for him on his doorway. He clenched his teeth for a moment, solidifying every ounce of resolve he had in his system, burying every flashes and images of Zoro and Kaitarou into the deepest part of his mind, and then he said, “Let’s go.”

* * *

 

“Are you sure it’s fine for Robin and Brook to take passenger vessels? I mean, they could’ve gone with us in Law’s ship.”

Rolling her eyes as she descended the ship, Nami said, “You’ve been asking me that question for two days now, Usopp.”

“Well,” the sharpshooter rubbed a sweaty hand on his neck, “I’m just worried.”

“Don’t be. I know Robin and they’ll be here on time. Trust me,” Nami said with a knowing smirk. Robin had insisted to change routes, telling the crew that she’d like to gather more information about the Road Poneglyph in Big Mom’s safe, and probably to investigate about the shady businesses of Big Mom’s crew.

“How can you be so sure of that?” Usopp asked as he walked with her.

“Well, I know her,” Nami replied, “and Brook’s with her. He may be an idiot sometimes but he’s still our nakama and I trust his strength. He’ll keep Robin safe, and vice versa.”

Usopp hadn’t spoken about it after that. He agreed to what Nami said. Their nakama were strong; they could take care of themselves. Sometimes, he thought if he was the only one who unnecessarily worried so much. He’d always been a coward, but he could be fairly brave and dependable when the situation called for it. He was a liar, yes, but he was much more than that. His nakama had proven him so throughout the years.

“That’s the Seducing Woods,” Law said, pointing at the tall canopy of trees occupying a vast stretch of land. “We’d have to go through it, but Jinbei gave me an idea.”

“What idea?” Luffy asked.

With his gaze dawning on his companions, he explained, “Big Mom already knows we’re here. There’s no doubt about it. If she hasn’t made a move yet, then that place is probably a trap, the first level of her pursuit against us. And in order for us to get through that place safely, you have to stick close around me.”

Luffy tilted his head to the side, his brain buzzing with Law’s rhetoric. “I can’t understand. What are you driving at?”

Sighing, Law lifted his hand in front of him, the black ink of his “DEATH” tattoo displayed in plain sight for his companions. “I’m using my ability. Just like what Jinbei had suggested.”

Nami gasped as a smile stretched across her lips. “That’s a good idea!”

As the Straw Hats gathered around Law, Zoro bent down to lift Kaitarou inside his arms. “Hold tight, son.”

Nodding, Kaitarou threw his arms around his father’s neck. After a while, a blue dome appeared around them, stretching across the mouth of the woods and in a blink of an eye, darkness surrounded them. Zoro felt Kaitarou’s arms wrap tighter around his neck and he patted a reassuring hand on the small of his back.

The deep part of the woods was dark with thick miasmas floating around the trees. There were weird candies everywhere but they looked dull and unpalatable in the midst of the unpleasant atmosphere. They’d teleported a few times more, thanks to Law’s ability, and after a few minutes, they’d managed to get out of the Seducing Woods in one piece.

After wiping the sweat off his forehead, Law tugged at the collar of his coat to loosen it up. Even though he had this Devil Fruit’s power almost all his life, he couldn’t deny that the ability sometimes gave him strain, particularly after using it numerous times in a row.

“Are you all right, Torao?”

Law’s dark eyes landed on Luffy. His eyebrows were knotted and there was this stupidly worried look on his face. He’d always been like that, and even though Law had always been embarrassed to be at the receiving end of that genuine concern, he wouldn’t lie to himself if he thought that he was quite happy to have Luffy worry about him.

“I’m fine,” he said as plainly as he could.

From the hard set of Luffy’s eyebrows, Law knew that the Straw Hat captain seemed to not buy his claim. However, when Luffy was about to utter something in response, he was cut short by Chopper’s flailing and loud shout.

“Is that Germa 66?!” the little doctor exclaimed. “Is Sanji with them?”

Zoro’s heart skipped at that. He whipped his head around to find what Chopper was talking about, and conspicuously so, there was a brigade of soldiers parading along the road down the hill. Black flags with large print of the words “Germa 66” were hoisted among them and displayed proudly for the world to see.

Zoro put his son down on his feet and said, “Stay here.”

Nami might have called his name once, or maybe twice, he didn’t care. All he knew was that he was sprinting down the slope of the hill, his heart beating so fast and his brain firing up adrenaline into his bloodstream.

When he lifted up his eye, he saw people sitting inside the carriage, dressed with capes and expensive garments. And without having to think twice, he knew who was in there. Zoro jumped, avoiding a large piece of rock along his way, careful not trip himself, and shifted his attention back toward the carriage.

But this time, he caught a flash of _blond_ hair and his heart drumrolled inside his chest. He knew those blond locks as much as he knew the back of his hand. And without much restraint left in his system, Zoro inspired a large volume of air, accumulating it inside throat, preparing himself, as he yelled loudly…

“COOK!”

* * *

 

Sanji didn’t know if he was hearing things. But when he looked at his brothers beside him, from their raised eyebrows and curious expression, it was clear as day that they’d heard that voice too – that _fucking familiar_ voice.

With his heart steadily picking up pace inside his chest, Sanji leaned forward to peek outside the carriage. “Wha–?” His blue eyes widened and he almost choked in his own breath.

Zoro caught his gaze and the dumbass fool flashed him one of those cocky grins which Sanji hated and loved at the same time. After a few seconds, the swordsman’s hand snaked down to his side, wrapping around Wado’s hilt, and from there, Sanji knew what would happen next.

“Stop the carriage!” he shouted, and the huge cat pulling the vehicle halted on its track. Zoro’s pace slowed down until the swordsman was standing there just a few meters away from them.

“Heh,” Yonji remarked in amusement. “It’s that green-haired pirate you’re involved with, right, brother?”

“Yeah,” Niji agreed. “He’s our brother’s _former_ lover.” At that, the two Vinsmokes snickered and Sanji gritted his teeth. What was this bastard doing here?

“Father,” Sanji said calmly, “Spare me a minute. I need to talk with that man.”

“Make it short or we’re going to be late to our appointment,” Judge said.

But before Sanji could get off the carriage, he heard his father say, “Do what you _need_ to do, Sanji.”

Sanji tried to swallow the bile rising up his throat. He was going to be sick.

Wordlessly, he stepped down from the carriage and walked toward the swordsman who was smugly grinning up at him. “So you have a cape now, huh, Cook?” Zoro teased. “Happy to finally be a prince like in one of those fairytale shits?”

Zoro waited for a comeback, a snarl, a spat or an annoyed look, just like what the cook had always done every time he provoked him like this. But what he didn’t expect was the expression on Sanji’s face right now. When the blond lifted his head up, his blue eyes opening to meet his, a look of utter _indifference_ was displayed in that once wonderful gaze.

It was apathetic, and as _cold_ as the icy river way back in Punk Hazard.

The blond parted his lips, his voice sounding like the cook he’d always loved, but the words were foreign and cruel to Zoro’s ears.

“Don’t get too familiar with me, filthy _pirate,_ ” Sanji spat the last word like a venom.

There was only a split second of shock before Zoro’s eyebrows knotted together. “Are you really gonna give me this shit, Cook?” he said exasperatedly. “Stop this drama right now and come home.”

Zoro was kind of expecting this. He knew that Sanji would try to push him away, to pretend that there was fucking _nothing_ happened between them, to lie to himself that it would be fine without Zoro in his life.

“I _am_ home,” Sanji said as he opened his arms wide, proving his point. “This is what I want. I am the prince of Germa Kingdom and I have soldiers and servants in my beckon and call. After I marry Big Mom’s son, I will have an entire fleet under my command.” Sanji flashed him a mocking smile. “Who would want to be a cook in a low-class filthy pirate ship under a stubborn, half-ass captain?”

Something _sparked_ inside Zoro because of that. His hands balled beside him and he glared at the cook reproachfully, expressing his contempt. “Don’t talk to Luffy that way,” he said in a low voice.

Sanji snorted. “What, are you mad? Hearing your captain get defiled angers you so much?”

“He’s your captain, too, dumbass,” Zoro countered.

“Not anymore.”

Zoro gritted his teeth. “Quit being so stubborn, Cook. We’re here to get your ass out of this mess.”

“I’m a _prince_ ,” Sanji said pointedly. “I have duties and responsibilities to my kingdom. I don’t have time to play pirates with your fucking idiotic captain.”

There was a glint, and the next thing that Sanji saw was Zoro’s blade pressed near his throat. He tried to remain calm, to keep his face neutral, even though his whole being was screaming at him to stop this nonsense and just run away with this man in front of him. But he _couldn’t_. Unless he wanted his nakama to be massacred by Germa and Big Mom’s crew right here, right now.

“I said,” Zoro spoke with so much threat in his voice that Sanji felt an icy chill ran down his spine, “don’t talk to Luffy that way.”

Sanji shouldn’t be annoyed by that. He knew how much respect and admiration Zoro had for Luffy. It wasn’t the first time that he’d threatened to kill someone who tried to speak ill of his captain. Sanji would’ve done it, too. But the mere fact that Zoro was baring his blade toward _him_ , his _lover_ , his _partner_ , clenched Sanji’s insides and squeezed his heart tightly in his chest.

“So you really would kill me when Luffy says so. Am I right, Zoro?” The question slipped from his mouth before he could stop it, and Sanji desperately hoped that it would remain unanswered.

There was debate in Zoro’s grey eye, a kind of uncertainty which coiled deep inside him. After a moment of mulling over his thoughts, the swordsman spoke as his face lingered closely to the cook. “For the sake of the crew,” he said and paused for a moment, “Yes, I probably can.”

The words felt like a dagger toward Sanji’s heart. He felt the back of his eyes burn with unwanted tears and every fiber of his being shed with anger and disappointment. He shouldn’t be feeling this way. His resolve to die for his crew was just as strong as Zoro’s, or else, he wouldn’t even be here.

But he hadn’t expected that answer from the swordsman. Zoro could kill him himself, with his own blade and with his own hands. On the contrary, Sanji couldn’t even bring himself to imagine doing the same thing. He couldn’t kill Zoro. He’d rather die than have his head cracked under the sole of his shoe. Never.

Zoro saw the break in the cook’s expression, and for a moment right there, he wished to just hold him and kiss all his troubles away. “Cook,” he said softly.

Sanji’s eyes were _lifeless,_ staring into space somewhere between them. “So you can kill me, huh.” It wasn’t a question, but a realization, and Zoro wasn’t sure what to say when he heard Sanji’s next words. “And here I am resolving to throw my life away for you because I love you.”

Zoro’s lips parted and the words left his mouth. Wado’s blade dropped to the swordsman’s side, his gaze never leaving the cook and when Sanji lifted his eyes up to him, Zoro felt a deep ache inside his chest when he saw how broken Sanji looked.

“I’m doing to this to protect you and Kaitarou, Zoro,” the cook said before the swordsman could even speak. “I’m sacrificing everything for you – my life, my dream, my happiness. All because I love both of you and I want you to live.”

Sanji swallowed the lump in his throat and desperately tried not to let a single tear fall from his eyes. “Four years ago, I went away because of your ambition. I can’t burden you with a kid whom you have to protect at all times. It just doesn’t work that way,” Sanji said and all the painful memories came back to him like a hard punch in the gut. He wanted to throw up.

“You have your dream, which is the _most_ important thing in your life. And I have mine as well,” Sanji said as a faint smile lifted the corner of his lips, “that’s why I’m doing this to protect _it_.”

Sanji turned his back to the swordsman, leaving him confused and speechless, but before the cook could walk away from him, Zoro reached out and tugged Sanji’s arm. “What do you mean, Cook? You’re doing this for All Blue?”

The blond chuckled and shook his head. Looking over his shoulder, he said, “Four years is a long time, Zoro. Things have changed, and so is the most important thing to me. You and Kaitarou mean the world to me, and All Blue is just a part of it.” Sanji held Zoro’s gaze firmly. “My dream is to see you both achieve your own dreams and live your lives to the fullest. And if I have to die or throw my life away for it, then I will.”

Zoro swallowed the painful lump lodged inside his throat. He didn’t know what to say about that. He was… lost.

“Zoro,” Sanji said when he saw the dawning realization on Zoro’s face, “we feel the same way, but we feel _different_ as well. You go and protect your dream,” Sanji’s eyes hardened with determination, “and I protect mine.”

With those last words, the blond spun around quickly, catching Zoro off guard as a hard kick connected to his side. The swordsman flew and crashed against the ground, making Sanji’s stomach churn as he heard his brothers’ sick laughter behind him. Composing himself once again, Sanji turned around to walk toward the carriage, his feet heavy and his heart breaking with every step.

“Papa!”

Sanji’s breath caught when he felt a tug on his cape. Kaitarou went in front of him and tiptoed to hug his hips. “I missed Papa so much!” What the hell was he doing in this place?! Did Zoro bring him here?

“Sanji-kun!”

“Sanji!”

“Sanji!”

“Sanji!”

Nami, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper. He could recognize those voices from miles away. His nakama were here. To save him.

“Sanji-kun, come back to us,” Nami said.

“Why did you kick Zoro? Did he tease you again?” Luffy asked and he could hear the mirth in his voice.

“Papa.” Kaitarou grinned up at him. “Uncle Usopp made me a sword! And Uncle Luffy said that I can borrow his hat! Look!”

“Heh. Is that midget our nephew?” Yonji said.

“Let’s greet him, shall we?” Niji suggested and both Vinsmokes stood up from their seats.

Sanji felt panic rise up in his system and his hand moved on its own accord. The back of his hand connected against Kaitarou’s cheek and the kid fell on the ground. He heard his nakama gasp but Sanji ignored them. He gave Kaitarou a cold look. “Out of my way, brat.”

His son flinched but Sanji just moved past him wordlessly. Yonji and Niji were laughing, but Sanji’s ears felt like they were filled with cotton. He couldn’t hear anything. Everything was a blur and his chest just felt so empty inside.

“That was a good show,” Yonji said as he sat back on his seat.

“Yeah, I love the broken look on that kid’s face. Priceless,” Niji added with a smirk.

“The worthless bond has now been torn,” Judge said. “You did the right thing, Sanji.”

“Let’s go,” Sanji said, his voice sounding small as he took the seat at the corner, the one farthest from his nakama, because fuck, he couldn’t see the look on their faces right now. The carriage moved and he pleaded to the gods that his nakama wouldn’t follow him after this.

“Sanji!” Luffy shouted and was about to run after him when a strong grip stopped him. Turning his head around, the captain saw his first mate clutching his left side. “Zoro!”

“Don’t…” Zoro winced. “Don’t follow him.”

“But Sanji’s going to get away! I can take down those soldiers–”

“That’s not the point!” the swordsman growled.

“Zoro.”

Zoro shifted his glare to the sharpshooter who was staring seriously at him. “What?”

“Kaitarou.”

The swordsman’s eye widened and he immediately sprinted toward his son, who was sitting on the ground and crying inside Nami’s arms. He saw the red mark on the kid’s left cheek and he felt an ache inside his chest for his son’s pain. “What happened?” he asked.

With tearful eyes, Nami said, “Sanji.”

“His two brothers were about to come to Kaitarou, but Sanji stopped them by hitting him,” Usopp explained. “It was an act, but he was able to brush them off.” Usopp’s hands clenched beside him. “Sanji protected him.”

He felt angry at himself for being useless. He couldn’t do anything to stop these things from happening. He was a witness to Sanji’s undying and unconditional love for his son, and having to see his nakama unwillingly hurt his own child pained him deeply. It was unfair. It was all so _fucking_ unfair. Sanji, Zoro and Kaitarou didn’t deserve this!

“Son.” Zoro cradled Kaitarou inside his arms, watching as the small frame of his kid cry and tremble in his hold. He heard him uttering the word “Papa” over and over again, a mournful plea for Sanji to come back.

“Your Papa didn’t mean to hurt you,” Zoro whispered as he planted a kiss on his son’s head. “He did it to save you.”

“I. Want. Papa. Back,” the kid said between his cries. The swordsman bit the inside of his cheek and just wrapped his arms tighter around his son. For he didn’t know what to say in response to that.

“Nami,” Zoro said without looking at her. “I messed up.”

“What is it?” the navigator asked as she sat closely beside him.

“I told him that I can kill him."

“What?” Nami asked in shock and confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“The cook asked me if I could kill him if Luffy says so. I said that if it’s for the sake of the crew, then I probably can,” Zoro explained further. “He told me that I have my dream, which is the most important thing to me. And he has his, which is to watch me and Kaitarou fulfill our own dreams.” The swordsman looked down to his crying son and he ran a comforting hand along his back. “That’s why he’s pulling all these stupid stunts. For me and our son.”

Nami regarded him for a moment and after a moment of silence, she said, “Sanji-kun was probably hurt when you said that.”

“I know. I saw it.” Zoro remembered the pained and broken look in those blue eyes, how his cold façade crumbled at Zoro’s every word, how his demeanor shifted into something that was genuinely lost and defeated.

“From what you said, he probably thinks that your ambition weighs more than your feelings for him. That you can easily throw everything else away for the sake of your dream. That you can throw _him_ away if you have to,” Nami said and the swordsman remained silent. “That’s how it appeared to me, and it sounded wrong in so many levels.”

“I didn’t mean for it to be like that,” Zoro said. “I love him and our son, but my dream and my crew are also important to me.”

“We know,” Nami said with a small smile. “And Sanji-kun isn’t asking you to change anything, Zoro. If your ambition is your top priority, then he’ll support you to his full extent. The crew is grateful to you, but you have to realize that you have a _real_ _family_ now – a lover and a child. Someone who will love you unconditionally, who won’t leave you even when Luffy becomes the Pirate King and the crew goes their separate ways. Someone who won’t leave your side after you’ve become the greatest swordsman in the world. Someone who’ll stay beside you and grow old with you.”

Nami placed a comforting hand on his nakama’s shoulder. “That’s what it means to have a family, Zoro,” she said, “you sacrifice everything for them. Just like what Sanji-kun is doing right now.”

Zoro felt a heavy load lodge inside his chest. Nami was right. He was a fool for saying that thing, to place his feelings towards Sanji below his duty to his crew, and to take the cook’s feelings for granted because of his ambition. He had a _family_ now. The cook had realized this a long time ago that was why he didn’t bat an eye before resulting to sacrifice himself for them.

“Nami.” Zoro gave his son to her. “Keep him safe for me.”

“Huh? What do you–Zoro!”

He was running, his feet taking him closer and closer toward the man he loved with all his heart, but he wouldn’t snatch Sanji’s resolve away. No. He was here to scream his _own_ , to let his voice fill the air and let his words echo between mountains.

“COOK!”

Sanji flinched when he heard that voice.

“I SWEAR TO WADO’S MIGHTY BLADE THAT I WILL GET YOU OUT OF HERE NO MATTER WHAT!”

Sanji bit his lip hard, and his brothers’ laughters were left unheard compared to Zoro’s shouts.

“Shall we stop, Sanji?” Reiju asked.

“Keep going,” Sanji managed to say as his voice trembled.

 “YOU WON’T GET RID OF ME AND NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU KICK ME, I WILL STILL COME BACK TO GET YOU AND I DON’T CARE IF YOU GET TIRED AND SICK OF ME!”

A choked sob was ripped out of Sanji’s throat and his hand flew over his mouth to desperately keep his sobs in. He could still feel the sting at back of his hand, that hateful patch of skin which connected to his son's cheek. He hurt him. He'd hurt his own son. He was the worst.

Zoro’s lungs burnt for oxygen as sweat glided down his neck. Inhaling deeply once again, Zoro continued, “YOU’D BETTER COME BACK, COOK!”

His fists clenched tightly beside him and with one final shout, Zoro yelled, “WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE, I CAN’T BE THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN IN THE WORLD!”

Tears flowed in steady streams down Sanji’s cheeks. His heart was aching and the only thing that he could do at that moment was to grip the fabric over his chest, hoping that it would somehow lessen the pain and numb himself. It took everything to keep himself from scrambling toward the swordsman. He loved him. Fuck. He loved Zoro so much that it fucking hurt.

Zoro panted to catch his breath and with his hopes high that the cook had heard all of it, he watched silently as the brigade passed him by. His companions went beside him and placed comforting hands over his shoulder and on his back.

“That was one hell of a love confession, Zoro-ya.”

A smirk tugged the corner of Zoro’s lips and he flashed a knowing look toward the former shichibukai. “I personally recommend that you do the same. Shouting your feelings out loud will make your chest feel lighter.”

A blush spread across Law’s face and Zoro indulged himself at that wonderfully rare sight. After a while, the clouds above them darkened and drops of rain plummeted on the grass beneath their feet. “Syrup?” Nami said as she tasted the drops of “water” on her forearm.

“We must set camp,” Usopp suggested. “I don’t really want to get sticky.”

“You’re right,” Law agreed.

“Zoro, let me have a look on your side,” Chopper said.

“It’s fine,” the swordsman said, “besides, we won’t have time for that.”

With furrowed eyebrows, Chopper asked, “What do you mean?”

“Enemies.” Luffy stood beside Zoro, looking over the far stretch of land in front of them. “Around two thousand.”

“I’m asking permission to handle them myself, captain.”

“Eh?” Luffy said with a pout. “But I want to fight, too.”

Zoro snorted. “You can have Big Mom and all the big guys if you want. But this time, this battle is mine.”

Luffy grinned broadly at him as he put his hands on his hips. “All right! Don’t lose, Zoro!”

“Like those mascots could defeat me,” the swordsman said smugly.

His companions took shelter as Zoro stood in the middle of the battlefield. There was a thick mist covering his enemies' arrival but when the first line of shadows appeared in his vision, Zoro took the bandana off his arm and wrapped it tightly around his head.

He put Wado between his teeth as Sandai Kitetsu and Shusui rested comfortably in his hands. He could feel the power radiating from his katanas, coursing through his veins like fire and humming a familiar sense of comfort and promised strength. As the rainfall became harder and the wind threatened to uproot every tree in the area, Zoro stood there with unwavering resolve and firm conviction in his eye.

The enemies spotted him and the entire army froze. Gripping his katanas tighter, he ran toward his opponents in lightning speed, his blades singing for the much awaited battle ahead and his pulse drumming inside his ears. As the thunder roared against the sky, Zoro could only think of two things.

His love for Sanji and the desire to make himself worthy for him.

-TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Law's ability is pretty damn useful I tell you.  
> Thank you for the 1k+ kudoses! I'm so happy that you guys are still with me up to this point.  
> I have an Instagram account where I post my artworks. You can follow me [@ladyelocin](http://www.instagram.com/ladyelocin)
> 
> Kindly let me hear your thoughts for this chapter. :)


	39. Crimson Eyes

**Chapter 39: Crimson Eyes**

The last time that Ichiji spoke to him, it was when they were eight years old. It wasn’t a very pleasant memory – none of his past with these people was actually – but what Sanji could remember was his older brother’s fist buried deep to his side and his loud cries to make the pain stop.

Thus when Sanji walked past his red-haired brother, the hairs on his arms stood as he heard Ichiji’s deep voice echoing around him and bouncing along the walls of an invisible barrier where he was caged in.

“Sanji,” Ichiji spoke, “don’t mess this up.”

Sanji’s pace halted as he stared at his brother’s back. Ichiji hadn’t spoken to him even after they’d met each other again after a long time; the prince had remained seated and silent as well in the midst of all that drama with Sanji and his crew.  

Sanji had never liked his older brother. Even though they were born almost at the same time, Ichiji had this air of superiority around him, like a sense of immutable authority over his kingdom, his territory. And as detestable as it was, Sanji could somehow feel Ichiji’s unspoken dominion over him and his siblings.

Lunch had been awfully suffocating for Sanji – seated in a garden-like room with his so-called “family” and with the perpetrator of all this tragedy, the yonkō, Big Mom.

Big Mom was _huge_ and undoubtedly _powerful_ , but Sanji couldn’t feel any trace of fear. He’d already lost everything – his crew, his life, his dream, his son, and his lover. What else could he be afraid of? Death?

A humorless smile stretched across Sanji’s lips. If he could only _die_ his way out of this, to let his loved ones leave without a single scratch on them, then he didn’t have to be asked twice about it.

“Where’s the groom?” Judge asked. “Shouldn’t your son at least meet with his bride-to-be?”

Sanji’s eyebrow twitched at that last word. _He_ was the groom. Did his father think so little of him? He might’ve had this strange condition, but he was still a _man_ , for fuck’s sake!

“Mama–mama!” Big Mom laughed. “My second son, Katakuri, is a shy boy. He prefers to eat _… alone_. Therefore, Sanji–” she looked at the blond as a mischievous smile contorted her ugly face “–my son has requested your presence to his chamber after you’ve indulged yourself with this sumptuous lunch.”

Sanji felt sweat trickle down his neck. His grip on the knife and fork tightened as the food in his mouth lost its taste. Meeting his fiancé was bad enough, but meeting him _alone_ inside his own chamber was _worse_ than Sanji could ever imagine.

Pushing the last piece of bland food down his throat along with the bile that was threatening to rise any second now, Sanji put down his utensils and took the napkin from the table. After wiping his mouth like a fine gentleman, Sanji looked up to Big Mom with a serious expression on his face. “I’m done,” he said as his mouth was set into a thin line, “take me to him.”

* * *

 

Zoro’s back hit the wet grass as the syrupy rain poured down his face. He was panting. “Sweet. Fuck,” he said as a few drops slipped past his lips.

He didn’t know how long he had fought with this army, but he was sure that it was long enough to make him so fucking exhausted. There were others who were quite strong, identifying themselves as Big Mom’s children.

When Zoro heard that, something inside him just snapped and before he could think what he was doing, his katanas were already slashing on them and one by one, they fell, blood splattering on the grass beneath their feet.

He heard himself shouting, yelling at them to tell him who the fuck that “Katakuri” was and where he could find him. When no one answered, he flicked his wrist and in one swift movement, they all dropped on the ground, groaning in pain and uttering curses toward him.

His joints hurt, and all the muscles in his body ached. He’d received a few gashes, but none deep enough to bleed him to death. His left side was painful though, and even if he wouldn’t take a peek on it, he knew that he’d grow a nasty bruise there, considering the impact of that punch he’d received from one of Big Mom’s children.

“Zoro!”

He turned his head toward the direction of that voice and between the blades of the grass hindering his vision, he saw the figure of his nakama running toward him.

Usopp panted as he hovered over the swordsman. “The crew’s in trouble! One of Big Mom’s children found us wandering near the woods and she just appeared out of nowhere! Nami and Chopper got trapped in this weird mirror-like thing and Luffy was lost inside the woods! Ahhh! I’m panicking! Oh god!”

“Wait, what? Usopp, calm down.” Zoro tried to lift himself up but the sudden movement put a strain to his left side and earning a painful groan from him.

“Are you hurt? Wait, let me–” Usopp knelt beside him but the swordsman brushed him off.

“No, I’m fine.” Trying to hide a wince, Zoro pulled himself up into a standing position. “Where’s my son? Where’s Law”

“Law’s fighting with that witch, Brulee,” Usopp answered. “Kaitarou’s with him. He’s safe. I ran here for help the moment I got the chance.”

“Bru–what?” the swordsman asked with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“I’ll explain later. We have to help them! Can you stand?” Usopp asked with worried eyes.

“Of course I can.” Even though Zoro stubbornly insisted that he could walk on his own, his own pace seemed to betray him and he sighed in defeat when Usopp put his arm over his shoulder for support.

“You just fought two thousand enemies on your own,” the sharpshooter said as they walked across the field, “of course you’d be drained, idiot.”

“Zoro-ya.”

The sharpshooter’s eyes widened when he saw Law approaching them. “Law? What about Brulee? Where’s Kaitarou?”

“Mugiwara-ya’s fighting her,” the doctor said and his eyes fell on Zoro, “and the kid’s safe.”

“You found Luffy?!” Usopp exclaimed in surprise. When Law nodded, he said, “Then we have to hurry!”

The two Strawhats were about to take another step when Law stood in their way. With his hat obscuring his eyes from view, he said, “Mugiwara-ya told me to help you, Zoro-ya.”

The swordsman snorted. “Yeah, well, Luffy’s the one who needs help right now.  I can sense another aura nearby. It must be a tough nut to crack, this one.”

“Mugiwara-ya can handle himself.” Law tilted his head to the side, looking at the swordsman with a dark eye which contained more dark secrets than Zoro could ever fathom. “He told me to help you get to Blackleg-ya.”

The muscle in Zoro’s jaw jumped.  He was torn between his crew and the cook once again. His crew needed help right _now_. They were fighting with one of Big Mom’s children and probably _another_ one was coming, a powerful one, judging from the bothersome tingle his Observation Haki was giving to his skin. He needed to help–

Nami’s words echoed inside his head.

_“He probably thinks that your ambition weighs more than your feelings for him. That you can easily throw everything else away for the sake of your dream. That you can throw him away if you have to.”_

No. He couldn’t throw the cook away. Never.

_“The crew is grateful to you, but you have to realize that you have a real family now – a lover and a child.”_

Zoro opened his eye.

_“That’s what it means to have a family, Zoro. You sacrifice everything for them. Just like what Sanji-kun is doing right now.”_

His hands balled into tight fists and he fixed his gaze toward Law. With decisiveness and determination written all over his face, he uttered, “Take me to the cook.”

The corner of Law’s lips twitched up and Zoro shifted his gaze toward his nakama. “Usopp,” he said as he pulled himself free from the sharpshooter, “promise me that you’ll protect my son while I’m gone.”

A certain kind of flame burnt in Usopp’s wide, dark eyes. “I know,” he said without a single trace of tremor in his voice, “you don’t have to tell me that.”

Usopp bumped his fist against the swordsman’s chest. “You have to get to Sanji no matter what, you hear that? That’s an order from the Great Usopp-sama.”

A smirk formed on Zoro’s lips and the sharpshooter threw the same smugness toward him before his nakama turned around and ran toward the Seducing Woods, blending among the shadows and disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

 

_Flick._

Sanji slid the gray metal lighter back into his pants pocket. Pulling the cigarette from his lips, he let out a long stream of smoke, watching as it whirled around itself and then disappeared into nothingness after a while.

His eyes settled on the huge double door in front of him. He wasn’t afraid of him. No. What unsettled him was the fact that he’d _finally_ see the person – a _man_ – whom he’d spend the remaining days of his miserable life with.

He couldn’t imagine himself being with another man aside from Zoro. A beautiful lady would be more acceptable. But to be with a man, not to mention a yonkō’s son, shamed Sanji’s dignity so much that he could actually feel the cut burying deeply into his being.

He lifted his hand up to knock, but before his knuckles hit the oak door, Sanji thought twice. If these people had thought so little of him to take advantage of his condition and to have him marry a man, then screw all the formality.

Thus, without any consideration, Sanji turned the knob and pushed the door open, letting himself inside the chamber without permission. As the door closed behind him, Sanji’s eyes adjusted to the dimness inside the room, with only a large window as the sole source of light.

The shadows of the raindrops plummeting against the glass reflected on the floor. It was quiet – _still_. But Sanji could smell a faint aroma of sunflower tea coming from the large chaise lounge near the window.

“I didn’t hear you knock.”

Sanji’s heart skipped a beat when he heard _his_ voice. He could feel his presence in the room through his Haki, but actually hearing him speak made Sanji’s hair on his neck stood.

“Because I didn’t,” he answered as he took a drag from his cigarette.

Silence.

“You’re a bold one… _Black Leg_.”

Sanji kept his mouth shut. He didn’t really want to talk to this man. The sooner this stupid meeting ended, the better.

“Come here.”

When Sanji didn’t respond, the blond heard a soft _clunk_ of porcelain against porcelain. He saw the man’s gloved hand appear from the shadows engulfing him, putting a teacup down on the saucer placed atop the end table.

Sanji couldn’t take his mind off the size of his hand. It was probably _twice_ as large as his and from that single fact, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable when he imagined that very same hand running all over his body. They were getting married tomorrow, and spouses were supposed to do _that_ kind of thing.

Fuck. No.

“I said come here. Or you might find what those cuffs around your wrists can do.”

His hands balled beside him. This fucker.

With his heart beating loudly inside his chest, Sanji swallowed his resistance and forced his feet to take painful steps toward him. He halted when he was in front of him and when Sanji’s eyes adjusted to the shadows, he looked up to take in the face of his fiancé.

Katakuri had sharp dark red-purple eyes; his short spiky hair a deep crimson color. A massive light ragged scarf was thrown around his neck, reaching over his shoulders and covering the lower half of his face. He was muscular. _Tall_. Probably thrice Sanji’s height.

Sanji’s eyes fluttered in surprise. He was marrying _this_ man? Was his Father fucking sick in the head?

“Take your shirt off.”

“ _WHAT?”_ Sanji asked with wide eyes.

“I said take your shirt off, Black Leg.”

He wanted to die. How dare this man command him like this? How dare he take control over him like this? He just wanted the ground to swallow him whole, than to have this hateful creature humiliate him.

Katakuri’s eyes narrowed. “Do you need me to do it for you?”

Sanji’s teeth bit harder on his cigarette. And with reluctant hands, he slowly flicked the buttons out of their slits. The clothing slid down his arms and hit the floor soundlessly, pooling around his feet like a useless piece of garment. The cold air bit through Sanji’s skin and he shivered.

Sanji flinched slightly when he felt that large gloved hand on his abdomen. The digits wandered higher, taking in the indentation of his collarbone and the tone of his shoulder.

“You have power,” Katakuri said, “I respect people with immense strength in their body.”

The man leaned forward, and to Sanji’s horror, lingered his face near his neck. Katakuri’s scarf was surprisingly soft against his skin, and his breaths felt warm and ticklish. The man’s fingers caressed the rapidly beating pulse in his neck and Sanji’s body went rigid.

His feet were dreading to kick the man away, to have him as far away as possible. But he couldn’t. And that was what frustrated Sanji the most.

“You’re strong and you can handle pain,” Katakuri said as the tip of his nose brushed against Sanji’s ear, “you will carry my child, Black Leg.”

Sanji’s teeth bit through the filter of his cigarette. The stick broke and the rod fell down on the carpeted floor, the embers glowing dimly amidst the dark shadows of the room.

As Katakuri’s hand went beside his face, slipping his blond locks between the man’s long fingers, Sanji felt his eyes burn with unwanted tears. His nails were digging painfully on his palms and a little bit further, the skin would definitely break.

It didn’t matter if he bled to death right now. The humiliation was so deep that he just wanted to curl into a corner and die. He could stomach his marriage with this man, to live with him until his last dying breath, but he couldn’t do _this._ He couldn’t imagine himself having a child with a man other than Zoro.

“After the wedding tomorrow,” Katakuri whispered near his ear, “I will meet you in this chamber and I will ask the servants to bathe you.”

Katakuri pulled back, just enough to let his crimson eyes bore into deep blue ones, pinning Sanji in place, controlling him, overpowering him. “Don’t try to escape, Black Leg,” he said, “I can always find you wherever you go.”

And with that, Sanji’s hands unfurled and rested limply to his side, his heartbeat slowing down as the smallest ray of hope died together with him.

At last, after completely surrendering himself to this harsh reality, Sanji felt nothing as a miserable tear fell from his unblinking dead eyes.

-TBC

* * *

**_My art illustration for this chapter because the Big Guy is worth my love._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naughty Katakuri. Hell YES.  
> [lady-elocin.tumblr.com](http://lady-elocin.tumblr.com)  
> [instagram.com/ladyelocin](https://www.instagram.com/ladyelocin)


	40. A Note For Beloved Readers*

_This has been posted on my[Tumblr](https://lady-elocin.tumblr.com/post/171710782840/zosan-fanfiction-writers-we-all-know-that-the) but I'm posting it here as well._

* * *

 

**ZoSan Fanfiction Writers**

We all know that the canon story is lacking greatly of ZoSan content for quite some time now and that’s probably the reason why fics have been dwindling lately. But I’m still proud of those writers who’ve been writing, not only wonderful one-shots, but also those awesome multi-chaptered fics which keep the fandom going.

Just like the amazing artworks, fanfics also provide a strong backbone for the fandom. It’s a necessary masterpiece to keep a fandom intact, interesting and fluorishing.

**The thing is, there has been a grave lack of feedback from the fandom for fanfiction writers.**

We write because we love the fandom and also because we love what we do. We’re not like traditional published authors who still get paid even if the readers don’t talk about their work.

**If our readers don’t respond to our fic, we get nothing.**

All we get is  _frustration_  and  _self-doubt_  that maybe we’re not doing a great job, or perhaps people are not interested in the fics that we pour our hearts into. We make stories that can take up to days or weeks to update and months or even years to finish. We think about the plot carefully, outline necessary events, highlight emotions and bring it to you in such a way that will make you look forward and thirsty for more.

The lack of feedback is quite disheartening and it takes away our inspiration and motivation to write.

 **We’re not whiny if we encourage people to respond to our fics. It’s because our readers’ words are our** **_lifeblood_ ** **— the fuel for our passionate souls.**

Writers paint an entire world with words. They can take you to wonderland, to another dimension, to the highest point in the sky, to the deepest part of the ocean or even to another world that’s beyond your imagination.

Fanfiction writers make a pairing possible even if the canon story tells them otherwise. They shower love and infinite possibilities to the fandom with all the amazing ideas that they have. Dragons. Kingdoms. AUs. Magic. It doesn’t matter. They can give all that to you.

**So please, dear readers, respond to fics.**

Don’t let your favorite authors fizzle out and lose their confidence in sharing what they have to offer.

Explore our works. Engage with us. We don’t only want to hear “I like this” from you.

We want to know what you like. What piqued your interest. What made you mad. What made you smile. What made you laugh. What made you cry. What made you think. What made you stay up late at night.

Why don’t we settle down for a cup of tea and talk about about the things in the fic which made you fall in love? :)

* * *

_(This post is in support to fanfiction writers in the fandom.)_

 

 


	41. Tonight, I Surrender

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for all the responses I got from my previous post, not only here on Ao3 but also on Fanfiction.net and my Tumblr account. I'm happy to always hear from you so as a token of appreciation, well, here's an update. Enjoy reading! :)

**Chapter 40: Tonight, I Surrender**

Whole Cake Chateau was one big-ass house for a pirate crew – at least it was for Zoro. However, this was a _yonk_ _ō_ he was talking about, so this kind of extravagance was somehow expected from her.

He and Law had made past through most of the guards patrolling around the vicinity, stealthily sneaking in alleyways and blending among the shadows. The rain was pouring harder and from the dark clouds looming over the entire island, as well as from the pang of hunger biting through the walls of his stomach, Zoro was certain that it was already past dinner time.

He wasn’t able to eat something for lunch, not a grain of rice or a sip of his most precious sake. All of their food rations were left in Law’s ship, deciding that they could always take a second off and dine somewhere in town.

But things had definitely cascaded in a worse way. He’d expected the cook to put some form of resistance. Of course, he would. He was stubborn like that. But what Zoro hadn’t predicted was for Sanji to actually leave them, turning his back on his crew and walking away like every step he took was leading to his own death sentence.

He bit the inside of his cheek and his hand went tighter around Wado’s hilt. He had to get to the cook as soon as possible.

“I’m going first,” he declared and was about to take a step forward when Law stopped him.

“Wait, Zoro-ya,” Law said in a hushed tone as a guard passed by in front of the alley they were hiding in. “How do you propose we advance from here?”

Zoro snorted. “I’ll fight my way through, of course.”

“What? Wait.” Law grabbed Zoro by the arm and the swordsman grunted in annoyance. “We can’t be seen. I have an idea. I can get you to Black Leg-ya’s room easily without rousing any suspicion from the enemies, but I must tell you that in order to do that, we have to be furtive and silent.”

Raising an inquisitive eyebrow, Zoro started to weigh his options and to seriously consider Law’s proposal. He had a point. If he were to cause a ruckus now, then Big Mom could tighten the security more and possibly station more guards to watch over the cook’s every action like fucking damn flies.

Not that would ever stop him, but it would be a pain in the ass to fight through his way and waste more time than he already had when he could easily sneak in just like what Law had said. Also, he hated to admit it, but his side was still aching from the blow he’d received from the battle earlier. Law had already wrapped his abdomen with clean bandages, but they were now soaked with syrupy rain and the edges were sticking uncomfortably to his skin. There was no way they would hold on nicely after a couple of hours.

“All right,” Zoro yielded, “lead the way.”

The doctor nodded and the two proceeded cautiously. Law managed to redirect Zoro’s path successfully for every wrong turn he made, but from the grumpy creases between Zoro’s eyebrows and from the hard set of his lips, the swordsman was undoubtedly displeased for being manhandled and maneuvered through their way.

But Zoro wasn’t complaining. Law was actually surprised by that fact for he knew how prideful the swordsman could get, but seeing him this cooperative and determined to get his way out just so he could get to Sanji as soon as possible, made Law’s mouth quirk in an amused smile.

After thirty minutes of quietly sneaking around, the two pirates finally found the enormous double door leading to the interior of the huge castle. Leaning against the cracker wall behind him, Zoro tried to close his eye and let his Haki take over.

Over the course of four years, his Observation Haki had developed considerably. He was able to sense enemies within a wider range from his centre point and now would be a great time to put those skills into good use.

The cook had a very unique aura – well, at least for him. It was blue and overflowing. Rich and vibrant. Like those icy curls of smoke he had breathed in a winter night. He could recognize his aura anywhere. That was how he was able to pinpoint the cook’s location in that auction house. It was like a magnet that was pulling him in, reeling him in, and caressing his own soul.

His vision darkened and the only things which he could see behind his eyelid were black and glowing outlines of people within his target range. He tried to concentrate more, to focus his Haki to a more defined search, and when Zoro’s sense caught that strong and powerful aura he was looking for, his heart jumped inside chest as his eye flew open.

Zoro’s head snapped to his right, gazing up to the tall tower built upon the massive base of the cake chateau. “Shit,” he cursed. The cook was fucking high up.

“You found him?” Law answered.

“Yeah,” he agreed.

“Where?”

Zoro pointed a finger toward the fifth window of that rightmost tower. “I sensed him there. But, fuck, that’s around five hundred feet up. How the hell am I supposed to climb there without breaking my way in?”

A lopsided smirk tugged the corner of Law’s mouth. “I told you I have an idea. But it has to be executed rather quickly though.” Jerking his head toward the nearest establishment in front of the tower, he added, “Let’s get closer.”

Once hidden safely and pleased with the proximity to the tower, Law lifted his right hand and grinned at the swordsman. “You can thank me after you’ve taken Black Leg-ya with you.”

As realization dawned on him, Zoro’s lips slowly stretched into a grin and he cracked his neck in anticipation. “That ability’s pretty damn useful. I’ll give you that.”

“It certainly is,” Law affirmed as a blue dome stretched far across the area, extending up until the rightmost tower and in a split of a second, a fleeting moment faster than the speed of light, Zoro felt himself weightless. And before he could even close his eye, the rain had stopped pouring around him.

The raindrops were now plummeting against a large closed window as his soaked boots were dripping into a puddle of water on the carpeted floor. His vision adjusted to the dimness of the room and as his gaze lifted up, his eye landed on the slim figure standing a few feet away from him.

A silk robe was hanging on the crook of his elbows, halfway worn, as the skin of his back basked under the glorious shades of black and blue. His hair was paler and a bit ashen because of the shadows, but just as lovely as ever like what Zoro had always thought.

As his head turned around, Zoro’s heart banged against his chest when he was – finally, once again – met by those beautiful, deep blue eyes.

* * *

**Warning: Mature Content Ahead.**

* * *

 

He thought he was staring right through a ghost, or perhaps an apparition of his most beloved man in the world. But no, he wasn’t. Zoro was standing right _there_. In front of him. Soaking wet and looking so goddamn magnificent with all those roughness and hard edges.

Sanji slid the robe over his shoulders, tying the band around his waist before turning around to face his lover. “Where the hell did you come from?” he asked in a mixture of shock and confusion.

Zoro cocked his head to the side as a playful grin stretched across his lips. “I flew. Tower’s goddamn high by the way.”

The blond’s curly eyebrow twitched in irritation, but instead of letting himself be lured by the swordsman’s sarcastic response, he huffed and strode his way toward the man. “What the fuck are you even doing _here_?” Sanji blurted out in anger. “I thought I told you to stay the fuck away and just leave with the crew?”

“And I thought I told you that you won’t get rid of me no matter how pissed off you get,” Zoro countered as he closed in the gap between them, reaching out for Sanji’s face, “I won’t leave without you, Cook.”

Sanji brushed away Zoro’s cold fingers on his cheek. He turned away and sighed in defeat. “You’re so stubborn, Marimo,” he fumed. “You don’t understand. I _don’t_ want you here. I want you _gone_. I’m getting married tomorrow so just take the crew and leave this goddamn island!”

“Screw that bullshit!” Zoro argued as he whipped his hand in the air to make his point. “We both know you don’t want this. Kaitarou has faced all his fears just to come here and have you back.” Zoro stepped closer and put his hands on Sanji’s tensed shoulders, leaning forward to nuzzle the blond locks behind his ear.

“Our son is waiting for you, Cook,” he whispered, “come back to us.”

Sanji’s heart thumped inside chest. Zoro’s breaths were warm on his ear and he shuddered at the mixture of heat and coldness seeping through his thin robe. “I can’t,” Sanji said as his eyes dropped down to his wrists. “I have these stupid cuffs on me and if I escape this island, well,” he chuckled humorlessly, “you could say that I’d be cooking with my feet thereon.”

Zoro reached down and ran his thumb on the gold metal. “Heh,” he smirked, “so you screwed up badly, huh?”

Rolling his eyes and tearing himself away from the swordsman’s hold, Sanji turned around to glare at him. “Shut up,” he said. “These cuffs will be taken off me once I get married. Well, hopefully.”

“Stop saying that.” Zoro’s eyebrows pulled together as a nasty frown settled on his features. “There won’t be a fucking wedding ‘cause I’m going to haul your ass away from this place right now.”

Sanji wanted to submit to his desires, to just surrender and throw away all his worries and responsibilities for the sake of being with Zoro, with the man he _loved_ with all his heart. But he couldn’t. For everything would change once the dawning light peek through the horizon.

Thus, Sanji remained silent and let his hands roam up Zoro’s drenched coat, tracing a path up his chest, his collarbones, his broad shoulders, until his hand settled at the nape of the swordsman’s neck and Sanji heard a small sigh escape the man’s lips when his thumb caressed his throat.

A fuzzy feeling fluttered inside Sanji’s stomach and he lifted his eyes slowly to meet Zoro’s gaze. “Hey,” he said softly, “I was just about to take a nice warm bath. Care to join me?”

The swordsman’s grey eye darkened and Sanji felt himself being sucked into its depth. Zoro gently gripped his hand and rubbed small circles on the inside of his wrist. “I’d rather not,” he declined, “I’m here to take you back. We have to go.”

Sanji chuckled. “You’re one stubborn ass, aren’t you? You just don’t get it. I told you I can’t come with you, but I’m not pushing you away either.” He took a step closer, eliminating the remaining gap between them, letting their chests touch, as his mouth lingered near Zoro’s ear. “’Cause right now, Marimo, I just wanna forget everything for one night and let myself have fun bathing you.”

Sanji took a golden earring in his mouth and the swordsman grew tense because of that. Before Zoro could protest, he grabbed the man’s wrist and led the way toward the large bathroom attached to his chamber.

There was no resistance from the swordsman, and Sanji’s smile widened a fraction. A large tub was placed at the middle of the spacious room with scented candles lit around it. The servants prepared the bath just for him, as a special guest and as a prince of a faraway kingdom. With his heart hammering inside his chest, Sanji stood on one side of the bath and took off his silk robe with slightly trembling hands.

Zoro’s eye followed the fabric as it slid down the cook’s body, slowly and _oh so slowly_ licking every inch of that pale and glorious skin, until it pooled around his feet and Zoro’s heart just stopped.

Sanji was _beautiful_. With just the right amount of muscles, of softness and of rough edges which Zoro could worship forever. The cook spared a glance toward him and that provoking smirk on his lips just ignited something deep inside the swordsman.

Sanji immersed himself in the tub, sighing pleasurably as the warm water engulfed him and washed his exhaustion away. His eyes landed on the swordsman, who was just standing there like a statue but with a dark eye piercing Sanji right to his very core.

“Well, what are you waiting for, Idiot Marimo? Embarrassed to take a bath with me?” Sanji challenged and the swordsman’s eyebrow twitched at that.

“Said by the guy who can’t be in a public bath with me before,” Zoro countered with a snort as he began to strip himself off.

When Zoro took off his black coat, Sanji’s eyes settled on the soaked bandages wrapped around his abdomen, as well as on the few cuts and bruises marring the swordsman’s tan skin. “What happened to you?” he asked.

After divesting himself of his clothes, Zoro joined him and resigned himself against the edge of the tub, closing his eye to feel the warmth of the water and to relax himself on the enticing scent of the candles around him. His day was just so fucking tiring that he could sleep a whole century just to recuperate from it.

He heard the water move and his eye snapped open when he felt a warm, wet hand stroking the angle of his left jaw. Sanji had a deep and thoughtful look in his eyes but the way his mouth was pulled down at the corners made Zoro think that the cook was displeased about it.

With better illumination, Sanji could now see the faint blue and black bruise blemishing Zoro’s jaw, as well as all those shallow cuts, contusions and even small patches of dried blood on his chest and shoulders.

“I fought,” Zoro began to explain for he knew he just had to say something to the man in front of him.

“With whom?” Sanji asked, baffled.

“An entire army.”

“What?” the cook exclaimed incredulously. “How many are they?”

The swordsman shrugged. “Not sure. Probably around two thousand.”

“Two thou–” Sanji wasn’t even able to finish his sentence when he was already burying his face on his hands in frustration. “Goddammit, Zoro! I told you to stop being so reckless! You could have died!”

“But I didn’t, so I don’t see any problem here,” Zoro said nonchalantly and Sanji wanted to wring his neck because of that.

“I fucking hate you,” Sanji spat halfheartedly.

“No, you love me,” Zoro differed and a confident smirk twisted up his lips.

Ugh. Sanji hated it whenever the idiot was so full of himself.

“Just stop being so rash, will you?” Sanji said as he caressed the swordsman’s cheekbone with his thumb, a worried expression dawning on his face, “I don’t want you hurting yourself for me.”

The swordsman’s eyebrows furrowed and he grabbed Sanji’s wrist. “And it is fine to hurt yourself for me? Is that it?” he asked, a tinge of hurt palpable in his voice. “Don’t look down on me, Cook. I can take care of myself and the people who are important to me. You will do the same thing if you were in my case. Stop being so selfless.”

Sanji’s eyelids fluttered and his gaze dropped down on the water between them. “That’s not it,” he clarified, “I just… don’t want you getting hurt.”

A moment silence passed by between them and Zoro knew that he had to say something before the blond tumbled down deeper into that depth of self-accusation. Snatching the cook’s hand and intertwining their fingers together, the swordsman said, “I’ve been sliced in half by a giant-ass sword, had my ankles stitched for me, endure that giant ball of pain from Kuma and even survive fighting with those baboons in Mihawk’s island for two years. I’ve been hurt far worse before, Cook. I could tolerate a few bruises and scratches.”

Zoro wrapped an arm around Sanji’s waist and he ushered the blond to sit on his lap. “Don’t blame yourself, Cook,” he assured him, “even if I have to fight an entire fleet alone just to have you back, then I will. Every bruise, every cut and every wound I took just to make it here and be together with you, I don’t fucking care about all of them.”

The swordsman cupped his hand at the back of Sanji’s neck and pulled him closer to let their foreheads touch. “’Cause you’re worth all the pain.”

Sanji gasped and his hands shook on Zoro’s shoulders. He could feel the tears stinging the back of his eyes as his heart hammered inside his chest wildly. Zoro’s words shook him right to his very core. Those were the words he wanted to hear all his life, to hear someone say that he was worth it even with all his imperfections and ugly flaws.

It was one hell of a love confession that it robbed Sanji of his words.

Thus, he just let himself do what his instinct was telling him right now: to wrap his arms around Zoro’s neck and claim his lips into a heated and passionate kiss.

The swordsman responded with the same intensity, with the same vigor and hunger that was threatening to crush Sanji’s world. He had missed Zoro so much, this contact, this closeness and this burning passion between them. And before he knew it, he was already leaving the tub, being lifted by Zoro’s powerful arms as his legs instinctively wrapped around the man’s waist.

Their connection never broke even if Sanji had to maneuver Zoro a few times to let him walk without toppling the both of them down. Sanji gasped in surprise when his back hit the soft cushion of his bed, but before he could react for another second, Zoro was already on him – all over him. And he was lost in a haze of lust.

The covers were wet now, but they didn’t seem to mind. All they could think of at that moment was each other, how their skin touched and rubbed against each other, and how their lips connected in such a way that promised an eternity.

Zoro kissed _all_ of him, claiming every inch of his body, marking him, owning him. And he did the same for Zoro.

Sanji ran his mouth all over that glorious tan skin, taking in every rough edge and hard line with his lips and dipping his tongue into every curve and indentation. He kissed the cuts and bruises on the swordsman’s skin, hoping to lessen the pain and somehow asking for an apology for having to suffer for his sake.

With his lips, Sanji traced Zoro’s scar from his chest down to the right side of his hip. He heard the swordsman sigh and felt his fingers curl on his blond locks. “Cook.”

Sanji lifted his head to meet Zoro’s gaze. “What?”

“Can I hold you?”

For a moment, Sanji didn’t know what to say. But after seeing the seriousness and devotion in that grey eye, Sanji realized that it was the swordsman asking for his permission, to let him escalate things between them and to let him go further.

Sanji swallowed to wet his parched throat and he nodded in response to Zoro’s question. “Okay.”

That was all the consent which Zoro needed before he flipped them over and ravaged the blond’s neck with harsh, open-mouthed kisses. When Sanji gave him his permission, every cord in his body restraining him from completely devouring the beautiful man in front of him suddenly broke. Fuck. He was losing it.

Zoro ventured lower, running a warm tongue down his chest until his mouth found Sanji’s pink bud which made him arch his back and release a string of silent curses.

“Ah. Zoro.”

The swordsman kissed his way down Sanji’s abs, his bellybutton, over that lovely horizontal scar which meant the whole world for Zoro, until his lips pressed on Sanji’s weeping manhood.

“Zoro, don’t.” Sanji’s hand went on top of his head. “That’s… dirty.”

The swordsman smiled and he placed a soft kiss on the inside of Sanji’s right thigh. “Nothing in you is dirty, Cook.”

Sanji felt himself blush at those words and before he could utter his protest once again, he felt himself being enveloped with warmth, of that wonderful slickness which made his head fall down on the pillow and his mouth hang open in pleasure. “Fuck,” he cursed breathily.

Zoro was moving and Sanji was seeing white spots at the edges of his vision. He couldn’t take it any longer. “Zoro, p-pull out. I’m coming.”

But Zoro wasn’t listening. Sanji tried to grab a handful of his hair to stop him but the swordsman pinned his hands down to his sides. “Wha–? Zoro, I’m serious! I’m close. I’m gonna–”

With that last squeeze of Zoro’s mouth, Sanji’s vision blackened and he groaned in pleasure as he shuddered in the bliss of his release. When he came down from his high, Sanji looked down at the swordsman who was wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Zoro was grinning at him and Sanji could only gape at him in shock. “Did you seriously swallow that, you idiot?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t taste that bad,” Zoro said.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Sanji remarked, “You’re such a dumbass.”

Chuckling, the swordsman crawled on top of him and kissed his cheek. “You can take me if you want.”

Sanji shifted his gaze to him to see if Zoro was joking but all he could see in that grey eye was seriousness and sincerity. There was no trace of humor on his face or a hint of hurtful mockery. Zoro was completely aware of his condition and he perfectly knew what it could mean to Sanji if they weren’t careful.

That was why Zoro was giving him an option. And Sanji couldn’t say enough how thankful he was for it. But…

“No,” Sanji replied as he stroked his thumb on Zoro’s cheek, “I can take it.”

“I know you can, but,” Zoro’s eyebrows furrowed, “you don’t have to.”

A beautiful smile stretched across Sanji’s lips and he leaned forward to place a kiss on Zoro’s forehead. “Thank you. But I want this. I want you, Idiot Marimo. Do I have to repeat myself?” He flashed a challenging grin toward the swordsman and received a snort in return.

“Dumbass Cook.” Zoro pressed his lips between Sanji’s eyebrows. “I don’t remember a thing about our first time. I know it happened, fuck. But… I want to do it _right_ this time.”

Sanji smiled. That was all he had to hear for his doubts to be washed away and he guided the swordsman to the scented oil bottle inside the drawer beside his bed – the one which he used to rub on his skin after a nice long bath in the Sunny.

The intrusion wasn’t painful, but rather bordering to uncomfortable. The swordsman was watching him closely, looking for any indication of pain so he could stop at once when he saw just a bit of reluctance from him. Zoro’s fingers were inside him, doing those come-hither motions which made his mouth fall with quiet and wordless moans.

After preparing him, Zoro aligned himself between his thighs and once again looked at him to confirm his resolve. “Are you sure about this?” he asked.

“Yes, I am,” Sanji answered breathily.

Zoro looked conflicted for a moment but after a while, he leaned over Sanji and planted a soft kiss on his curly eyebrow. “Tell me if I’m hurting you.”

After Sanji nodded, the swordsman pushed past the first ring of muscles and Sanji’s breath caught inside his throat. “You okay?” Zoro asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, just… slowly,” Sanji said and swallowed. His first and last times were four years ago and he almost forgot how uncomfortable this thing actually felt at first. But Zoro was there for him, supporting him and kissing him, murmuring sweet nothings to ease his troubles away.

As the swordsman slid further into him, again and again, slow and wonderful, Sanji found his mind lost in a daze. He couldn’t think about anything else but _Zoro_. His world was revolving around him at this very moment and he felt as though his heart would burst any second now.

Sanji hooked his legs around the swordsman’s hips and wrapped his arms around his neck. Snatching his lips in a passionate kiss, he said, “Zoro. Faster.”

Swallowing, the swordsman increased his pace and Sanji’s nails dug on his arms. “ _Ah_. _Shit_.”

“Cook.”

Zoro wiped the beads of sweat accumulating on Sanji’s eyebrows. He thrust his hips sharply and he almost came right there when Sanji’s eyes rolled back in his head and his mouth hung open in a wanton moan. “Zoro!”

The swordsman ravaged Sanji’s neck as he continued to thrust in that pace, making the blond scrape his nails on his back and tighten his legs around his waist. After a while, Zoro gripped Sanji’s thigh and in one swift movement, flipped him on his stomach and settled himself again inside that incredible heat.

“Shit,” the swordsman cursed as he felt a new wave of pleasure lodge in his groin.

“Oh, _fuck_ , Zoro. You’re so, ah…” Sanji’s hands fisted tightly on the bed covers as his mouth fell open. Fuck. His lover was so _deep_ inside him, reaching farther than he’d ever did before and it was driving him mad.

And when Zoro moved, Sanji felt his whole world crashing down, his insanity being blown away by every thrust of those sinful hips and all he could hear was his own curses, his own moans and his shameful pleas of “faster” and “more.” He needed Zoro in a whole new level, and this contact between them right now was the proof of that much needed connection.

Zoro lowered himself down on Sanji’s back and hooked his arms under his lover’s shoulders. He needed Sanji. He wanted to be as close to him as possible, to breathe the same air as him, and to mark him as _his_ and _only his_.

Sanji’s skin was warm and basked under the silhouettes of raindrops plummeting against the glass window. The room was silent with only their pants, curses and slap of skin against skin as the only sources of noise.

Zoro showered Sanji’s neck and shoulders with kisses, biting, licking, sucking and muttering dazed thoughts on that pale skin. “Sanji,” he said in a shaky breath, “I love you. I love you so goddamn much.”

“Zoro… Ah…” The cook gripped the pillow tightly when a particular thrust hit that sensitive spot inside of him. As Zoro’s thrusts became more accurate and erratic, he felt himself getting undone and being unraveled by the man holding him.

Sanji could feel Zoro’s love, his commitment and undying devotion to him. It was all too much. And when he heard the swordsman’s harsh pants near his ear, he knew that he was already as close as him. “Zoro,” he whispered, “I’m close.”

The swordsman grunted in response and invigorated his thrusts even more, making Sanji arch his back as mindless curses dropped from his mouth. He didn’t know what to do with this heat inside his body. He was squirming but Zoro’s massive weight was pinning him down the mattress, immobilizing him, holding him.

This kind of submission was ripping Sanji of all coherent thoughts in his mind. This passion. This love. This deep trust towards the swordsman. He was the only man in the world whom he would trust himself with like this.

And with one particular thrust, Sanji felt himself tip over the edge, Zoro’s name slipping from his tongue and bouncing along the four walls of his chamber, as his release spurted on the mattress beneath him. Zoro was holding him, kissing him as he came down from his high, caressing him until his shudders stopped, and whispering to his ear those love confessions coming from the bottom of his heart.

Sanji heard Zoro groan behind him. Peeking over his shoulder, he saw how the swordsman’s eyebrows were set into a tight knot and how his mouth hung open with harsh pants and erratic breaths.

“Cook, I’m pulling out,” Zoro declared and was about to get off his back when Sanji held the swordsman’s hand and interlaced their fingers together.

“No,” he whispered near Zoro’s mouth, “inside me.”

“What? No,” the swordsman argued. “That’s it. I’m–”

Sanji claimed his lips. “I mean it,” he said as he looked at the swordsman affectionately, “another child. With you.”

Those words radiated deeply inside Zoro, tugging right at the very core of his being and serving as a catalyst for his impending release, pushing him over the edge until he came undone, with Sanji’s name, tangled with a few gentle curses, slipping past his lips.

As he opened his eye, Zoro’s gaze was met by those ocean blue eyes. There was a moment of silence between them, with only their stares speaking volumes of what and how they felt, of how they loved each other and how much they needed one another.

When Zoro pulled out, Sanji found himself curled against his lover’s chest and inside his strong protective arms – his safe haven in this entire world. Zoro brushed the strands of hair covering his eye as Sanji placed his palm on top of Zoro’s rapidly beating heart.

He could stay like this forever.

“You should come with me, Cook,” the swordsman murmured.

“I want to,” Sanji finally admitted. “But I don’t know how.”

“We’ll find a way,” Zoro assured him, “I’ll talk to the crew. We can figure something out together.”

Sanji hummed and closed his eyes to relish the warmth surrounding him. “I love you, Zoro,” he muttered silently and he was surprised at how easily those words came out from his mouth.

“I love you, too, Cook,” the swordsman replied as he kissed the crown of Sanji’s head. “I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

This was wrong and yet it felt so right. He was getting married tomorrow and now here he was, inside the arms of another man and laying himself bare for him. But Sanji didn’t care. This man with him right now was the one he desired, the one he wanted to spend his remaining life with, and the one he wanted to grow old with.

Despite all of the messy things that were happening to him right now, and even if tomorrow came and he was bounded by matrimony with another man, tonight, at the very least, under the harsh rainfall and the comfortable silence of his chamber, Sanji could sleep soundly inside the arms of the man whom he truly loved with all his heart.

-TBC

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is honestly the first time that I've written some NSFW stuff. Haha. Hope it didn't come out so awkward or forced. But, well, I tried. And the focus here is the love between Zoro and Sanji, not just the mere act of copulation. It's just a bonus actually.


	42. To The West Side

**Chapter 41: To The West Side**

It was quiet.

Zoro’s eye was staring right through the window, watching as the remaining drops of rainwater glided down the glass. The rain had already stopped, leaving a thick blanket of mist outside and rendering the entire chamber with deafening silence.

Zoro heard an exhale of breath beside him. His gaze lowered down to the man sleeping peacefully inside his arms. His blond strands were smooth, like a halo of silk kissing his skin; his pale lashes were long and casting soft shadows on his high cheekbones; his curly eyebrows were a shade darker than his hair, but nonetheless attractive and silly.

He chuckled. The cook’s arm was thrown over his abdomen and his cheek was pressed against his shoulder. He was warm and the contact felt so amazing. Sanji wasn’t soft, no. He wasn’t soft and fragile by any means. He was lean with just the right amount of muscles and just the right amount of sharp edges.

He was beautiful.

Zoro nuzzled his nose against the crown of the cook’s head, inhaling his scent deeply – a mixture of sweat, lavender oil, soap, and that certain delightful smell which intrinsically screamed “Sanji.” He could get used to this scent for an entire lifetime.

The moon was obscured by the clouds and shadows danced along every corner of the island. Sanji shifted and his eyelids fluttered open. Blue eyes lifted up to meet his and a small smile stretched sleepily across those soft lips.

“Hey,” Sanji said, his voice a bit hoarse from sleep.

Zoro’s gaze softened as he returned the smile. “Hey.”

Sluggishly, the cook extended his neck to plant a kiss against the sharp edge of Zoro’s jaw. “You look dumb.”

The swordsman snorted slightly and pressed his lips against the cook’s. “How’re you feeling?”

“Hm.” Sanji chewed the bottom of his lip. “Fine, I guess. Just a bit sore.”

“Does it hurt?” Zoro asked, his eyebrows slowly knotting together in concern.

“A bit,” Sanji admitted, “but nothing I can’t handle.” Zoro tried to open his mouth, probably to ask for an apology, but Sanji raced him to it and pressed his finger on the swordsman’s lips to shut him up. “Don’t you dare apologize. I like it.”

This type of soreness. It was the kind which Sanji didn’t find bothersome at all.

“You like it?”

“Don’t make me say it again, idiot.”

The swordsman chuckled and brushed away strands of hair falling on Sanji’s eyes. “When does that wedding start?”

Sanji answered, “Afternoon? I’m not really well-informed about this thing. So I won’t be surprised if someone will probably just knock on my doorstep in the morning, announcing that I have to dress up ‘cause the wedding will be starting in two hours.” He laughed at the ridiculous idea, but at the same time, knew that it was entirely _possible._

Nodding, Zoro said, “I have to get back to the crew and make up some weird-ass plan on how to crash that wedding.”

Sanji looked at him for a moment, a second of internal processing before the words snapped into place and all he could say was an “oh.”

He didn’t want Zoro to go. But there wasn’t really another choice to choose from, was it?

Zoro pushed himself up from the cushion and made his way toward the bathroom to collect his clothes and katanas. The sudden lack of warmth on his skin caused Sanji to shiver and he had to pull the blanket over him to protect him from the cold.

He heard the clunk of swords and boots from the bathroom and his eyes drifted to the grandfather clock leaning against the wall. The metal hands read twelve-oh-six and Sanji’s lips parted a little.

It was already past midnight? So he had slept for about four hours?

Zoro was already dressed when he emerged from the bathroom. Arranging his three katanas inside the waistband of his black coat, he walked toward Sanji and caught that unimpressed look on his face. “What?”

“I didn’t clean you up so you can put on those dirty clothes again, Marimo,” he said with a disgusted wrinkle of his nose.

“Stop being so prim, Shitty Cook,” the swordsman countered with a roll of his eye, “what the hell am I supposed to wear? Besides, I’m comfortable in it.”

“Well, you could at least ask Chopper to replace your bandages for you,” Sanji suggested.

“We’ll see.” The swordsman stood near the edge of the bed and reached out a hand to touch Sanji’s cheek. “Will you be all right here?”

The blond snorted and grabbed Zoro’s hand to lace their fingers together. “You know I can always kick their asses whenever I want.”

A grin curved up the corners of Zoro’s mouth. “Damn right.” Then he leaned down to claim Sanji’s lips once again, pushing his tongue inside and tasting none other than the cook’s love for him.

Sanji felt heat spreading in his entire body, balancing out the coldness running down his spine. The swordsman broke the kiss with a gentle bite on his lower lip as the faintest of blush was seen tainting his cheeks and the lobes of his ears.

“I’ll be back,” Zoro whispered on his lips.

Sanji caressed the side of the swordsman’s face with his thumb as he pressed their foreheads together, breathing in the same air as Zoro and occupying the same space at that single point in time. With his heart pounding loudly inside his chest, Sanji muttered, “I’ll be waiting.”

* * *

 

When Zoro jumped out of the window, with his parting words of “I’ll fly down” to the cook, earning him a subtle laugh and an utterance of “idiot” from his lover, he already knew what was going to happen.

After the first two seconds of his fall, a large blue dome appeared and engulfed his body completely. Before he knew it, his feet were already planted solid on the ground, the inertia dying down with the sudden switch of position.

A smirk formed on his lips as the shadowy figure of the former shichibukai was caught by his vision.

“You took your sweet time.”

* * *

 

Zoro wasn’t long gone when the door to Sanji’s chamber opened.

Startled, his eyes flicked toward the slim figure walking toward him. Her heels clunked on the bare floor, the noise echoing inside the quiet room, and she crossed her arms over her bosom after she settled herself down on the single couch beside Sanji’s bed.

“What are you doing here?” Sanji said flatly but every nerve in his system was firing with suppressed adrenaline, making his skin tingle with consciousness, and he pulled the covers slightly higher on his abdomen.

Reiju crossed her leg on top of her other thigh, her soft pink hair swaying and falling on one side of her face, completely covering her right eye. “You’re not very discreet, you know,” she commented and flashed his brother a knowing smile. “With my amplified hearing, I can practically hear you both down the corridor.”

Sanji’s face burnt with a deep, angry shade of red and his widened blue eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets. His mouth hung open in muted horror and he could feel his heart beating louder and louder inside his chest.

The look of utter shock and embarrassment was clearly displayed on his face that Reiju had to laugh quietly at his brother’s stupid reaction. “I waited in front of your door,” she said, “so no one would accidentally barge in while you two were–”

“Stop.” Sanji breathed in to calm himself. “Just stop.” He eyed his sister, his face still burning brightly with awkward embarrassment. “Are you here to inform me that you’re going to tell Big Mom about what happened or are you just here to mock me?”

The smile Reiju was wearing slipped off her lips. They held their gazes for a moment before Reiju sighed and said, “Neither. I won’t tell about that Pirate Hunter to anyone. I’m here for a different purpose.”

Sanji’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?”

Reiju stood up from the couch and made her way toward Sanji, letting her rear fall on the cushion at the edge of the bed and eyeing her brother searchingly. The blond remained silent as her sister continued to probe him with her piercing stare.

“That Pirate Hunter–”

“ _Zoro_ ,” Sanji interrupted. “His name is _Zoro._ ”

Her sister looked at him for a moment, staring at him with that blue gaze which mirrored his own. Afterwards, Reiju nodded in understanding. “Zoro,” she corrected herself, “you slept with that swordsman before your wedding so you won’t be able to carry Katakuri’s child, am I right?”

The unbearable truth in Reiju’s words hit Sanji hard in the face that he found his eyes dropping down on his lap in shame and helplessness. That was what he was thinking when he did _it_ with Zoro. After his meeting with Katakuri earlier this day, he was afraid of the words which the man whispered to his ear.

_You will carry my child, Black Leg._

A shudder ran down Sanji’s spine. He could see that crimson stare when he closed his eyes. He was afraid to be someone who would just bear children to any man, to be an instrument of pleasure or to be none other than “that pathetic bitch.”

Sanji swallowed the painful lump in his throat and when he opened his eyes, he looked at his sister seriously as his hands fisted on the covers. “If I were to bear someone’s child,” he said, “then I’ll make sure as hell that that child will belong to someone I love.”

Reiju remained silent for a moment, just sitting there at the edge of his bed and staring at him with unblinking blue eyes. He was ready for a mocking remark, a snort or something that will bury him deeper into his own shame and insecurities.

But to his surprise, a smile slowly stretched the lady’s pink lips and then she uttered, “You really love that man, don’t you?”

Sanji didn’t have any idea what she was on about, but one thing was for sure, he wasn’t going to deny what he honestly felt in front of her or in front of anyone again. “Yes,” he responded with voice full of truthfulness and conviction, “I love Zoro with my life.”

Reiju nodded in understanding and then afterwards took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said, “I’m glad that Zoro left. He’s a bit of loudmouth, isn’t he?” Reiju chuckled. “Let me tell you a little secret.”

As her brother continued to look and listen attentively to her, she continued, “The wedding is a fraud. There’s a scheme to assassinate Germa tomorrow when we’re not in our raid suits. Big Mom has always wanted our technology and she’s going to get that in one way or another. The marriage is just for show, to earn our father’s trust and to have an easier access to our technology.”

“Wait, what?” Sanji asked in confusion. “What the hell are you saying? Where did that shit come from?”

“From one of Big Mom’s children,” she explained, “I believe her name’s Pudding. I overheard her conversation with her sister in her chamber. I’ve always suspected a foul play in this entire thing, Sanji, because if you consider Germa’s reputation, Big Mom wouldn’t have easily accepted a political marriage from a kingdom full of warmongers. There’s just something _wrong_ with that so I decided to investigate. And as it turns out, I was right.”

Sanji’s hands fisted on the blanket as his teeth gritted to contain his anger. Big Mom. Katakuri. The wedding. What a bunch of joke.

Reiju moved closer and took Sanji’s wrist, her thumb grazing over the metal cuff. “I will help you escape, Sanji.”

“What?” the blond said in surprise.

“These cuffs,” Reiju explained as her eyes dropped on the metal clasped around her brother’s wrist, “they won’t explode when you get out of this island. I substituted Big Mom’s hand shackles with fakes, because I predicted that something like this would happen.” And with enough force of her hands, the metal cuff snapped open and Sanji could only stare in disbelief.

“I won’t let my brother be chained to something he clearly doesn’t want,” she said as her eyes lifted up to meet her brother’s wide blue gaze, “3 AM. I’ll meet you in this chamber. Be ready.”

Reiju was just about to pull away when Sanji gripped her arm. Searching for any sign of deception in that lovely face and eventually finding none, he inquired in a quiet voice, “Why are you doing this?”

Reiju stared at him for a few seconds before she closed her eyes and a soft smile broke out on her lips. “Because you’re my brother and mother wouldn’t let you die in this kind of place,” she said, “I may have been a bad sister to you in the past, but now, I am here to set things right.”

Sanji’s grip on her arm tightened as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “You said Germa will be assassinated tomorrow... what about you?”

The smile on the lady’s lips widened a bit and he touched Sanji’s hand gently to release his grip on her. “I’ve made so many unforgivable mistakes, Sanji. I’ve killed hundreds– _thousands_ –of people because our Father told me to.” Reiju stood up and turned her back on him. “I don’t need any excuse and I don’t plan on making one. I’m just as evil as our father and brothers, Sanji.”

She looked over her shoulder to flash an affectionate smile to her little brother, her eyes wrinkling slightly at the corners, as she said, “Tomorrow, I must die with them.”

* * *

 

Law was leaning against a cracker wall, his foot crossed over the other, arms folded above his chest as his huge sword rested comfortably on his right shoulder.

“You took your sweet time,” he commented.

“Definitely,” Zoro asserted.

“From the look of things, I presume that you did _it_ with Black Leg-ya, am I correct?”

The swordsman’s eyebrow raised a fraction. “How’d you know that?”

Amusement glinted on Law’s dark eyes. _So he wasn’t denying it,_ he thought, _it was the right decision to stay here._

Tapping the right side of his neck, Law stated, “Lovebites.” And as if on cue, the swordsman’s hand consciously flew over his neck. “I’m proficient enough to know the difference between a lovebite and an actual bruise.”

The swordsman snorted and put his hand down, tilting his head to the side and gracing Law with a clearer view of a few more “love bruises” on his neck and collarbone. “Am not ashamed of it,” Zoro said in a dignified tone. “I love the cook, and I’m proud of how I feel.”

Law stared at him in silence. He perceived Zoro as someone who was quiet and reserved, an outstanding and disciplined swordsman, and a stubborn and reckless fool who could go to great lengths to protect his crew and his loved ones.

So when he finally saw Sanji with him after four years, he hadn’t expected for him to be this outspoken about his feelings, to be this blatant about having a relationship with another man. He didn’t have anything against it because he didn’t see anything wrong with it.

After all, he didn’t even know if he was capable of feeling “love” in the first place.

“Oi,” Zoro said, “you think you can free the cook from his cuffs? They’re similar to those bomb collars and he said something about them exploding once he tries to escape from this island.”

“Big Mom’s hand shackles,” Law explained and afterwards lifted his hand in front of him, “everything affected by my ability is subjected under my complete dominion. I can switch body parts and mutate genes if I want. Being under my ability means that I _control_ everything from its largest part up to its atomic level. That is how I’m able to teleport things, even people, within the radius of my dome.”

He added, “I can try taking those cuffs off from Black Leg-ya, but it’ll be too risky. Someone with a great Haki like Rayleigh can pull it off. Using my ability, however, is like betting on one of the two sides of a coin. There’s no guarantee that I can disable the cuffs and prevent them from exploding. I can try making a cut a few inches above his wrists, but I would have to wriggle the cuffs from him and both of us know that that option is a bit dangerous.”

Law stood properly. “If I tamper on those cuffs, they might explode like those bomb collars. I’m not risking Black Leg-ya’s hands for that fifty percent chance. We know how important his hands are to him and as a doctor, my patient’s safety comes first.”

Zoro had always been a stubborn idiot, pushing his way through everything, but he knew a lost cause when he saw one.

With a defeated sigh, he rubbed a bit of a sore spot at the nape of his neck, probably from a whole day’s worth of exhaustion giving him a toll. So he really had to go to that fucking wedding to steal the keys from Big Mom, huh? There would be a lot of distractions and loopholes in a big event like that. So, perhaps, he might be able to pull it off.

“Let’s go back to the others,” the swordsman suggested, “I have to talk to them about the plan.”

Law silently followed him behind. As they walked through the dark alleyway, the mists became thicker and thicker and Law had to grabbed him by his sleeve to stop his tracks. “Wait,” the doctor said as his eyes squinted in the fog. “I smell something.”

“What?” Zoro asked in confusion.

Law’s eyes dropped down to the space between them, his brain recollecting all of his prior knowledge about that distinct scent in the air. He’d smelled this before. Somewhere. It was almost odorless that it could make a person with no prior exposure to miss it. Suddenly, he remembered of white walls, steel tables, plastic pipette tips, glassware, gas masks…

Chemicals.

Law’s eyes widened and he immediately covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve. “Don’t inhale the mist! It’s poisoned!”

“What?!” Zoro exclaimed as he copied Law’s action.

Both pirates tried to run away and weirdly enough, there were no patrolling soldiers or other living creatures near the area. Law coughed repeatedly as his knees fell on the ground. Zoro felt his throat constrict as violent coughs were reaped from his lungs.

One of his knees fell and he tried to rack up his lungs for much needed oxygen but to no avail. It was as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat tightly, squeezing his airway until he couldn’t let a single breath in, and in a matter of seconds, his vision spun and his head pounded painfully.

He felt himself fall on the ground, one hand clutching on Wado’s hilt in a death grip but never having the chance to unsheathe her blade.

 _Fuck_. He couldn’t hear Law move behind him.

His eye watered and through the haziness, he saw _someone_ emerge from the thick mist, wearing a gas mask but with clothes that were clearly unmistakable. Zoro let out a sharp gasp as he felt his lungs burn inside his chest. His grip on Wado slipped and his eye never left that hateful figure as it approached him.

And after exhausting his last attempt of frail resistance, Zoro’s head thumped on the wet, muddy ground, his ears ringing with sharp noises, as he let himself succumb to the darkness that was trying to consume him.

* * *

 

Sanji slipped the butt of his cigarette between his lips. But before his sister could comment on it, he quickly said, “I won’t light it.”

He wasn’t stupid. The fumes would leave a trail behind him and it could cost him his only chance of escape. He just needed something to break his nerves and his cigarette had always provided him that much needed comfort.

Reiju was now standing in front of him – at three in the morning – dressed in her pink raid suit. She nodded and turned her back on him to open the door. The corridor was soulless and quiet. As they stealthily snuck through the hallways, Sanji managed to ask, “What about those surveillance snails attached on the walls?”

“I kind of tampered with them.”

 _Kind of tampered_ , Sanji thought. “What did you do to the guards in the control room?”

Reiju flashed him a smile over her shoulder before directing her attention in front of her. As they ran silently and blended among the shadows of the unlit corners, Sanji began to think of different scenarios how his sister managed to tamper with the surveillance snails under a heavily guarded castle.

 _Either she killed them or made them fall asleep,_ Sanji wondered.

After turning around a corner, Reiju carefully opened a large double door leading to the dimly-lit main kitchen of the chateau. “Why here?” Sanji asked as they walked between rows of island counters.

“The castle has five hundred escape routes which were built by the greatest engineers in the Grand Line. I memorized every single one of them and this one here,” Reiju pushed a block of stone against the wall, “is the fastest way out to the west side of the castle.”

Sanji’s lips parted when a stone door opened, revealing a dark and unlit tunnel leading outside the chateau. “How did you manage to get a map of this place?”

“Germa has its ways, Sanji,” Reiju answered him, “our father and brothers are capable of more illicit things.”

Reiju took the torch attached on the wall of the tunnel and lit it with a match. “It sucks that I don’t breathe fire,” she said jokingly, “I’ll have Yonji install flame throwers on my raid suit if we make it here alive.”

They walked in silence for a long while, the soles of their boots and shoes clunking on the stone floor beneath them in every step. A sweet smell wafted under Sanji’s nostrils and when he took a good look around him, he realized that the walls of the tunnel were not made of stone but of thick hardened icing.

Sanji’s mind swam with thoughts, of “what if’s” and “why’s” but the only thing that managed to escape from his lips was, “Come with me.”

Reiju’s pace slowed down and she glanced over her shoulder to see the serious expression on her brother’s face. “I can’t,” she refused, “I told you that I’m just as evil as _them._ ”

“No, you’re not,” Sanji disagreed with a shake of his head, “You’re not one of them. You have a heart, Reiju.”

Reiju’s feet halted and she stared agape at her brother. As the flame on the torch crackled and illuminated their facial features, Reiju’s lips slowly twisted up into a gentle smile. “You haven’t changed, Sanji. You always see the good in people. Now I see why our mother loves you so much.”

After those words, Reiju turned her back on him and continued to walk through the dark tunnel. The conversation died down and they both shared a comfortable silence as they traversed the hidden passageway.

As they neared the end of the tunnel, Sanji’s senses heightened and he immediately crossed an arm in front of his sister, effectively stopping her on her feet. “What is it?” she asked.

Eyes narrowing, he said, “We’re not alone.”

Sanji walked toward the end of the tunnel, each step measured and careful, as his sister followed behind him. Reiju killed the torch before stepping outside, and as the dark clouds cleared the face of the moon, two figures appeared standing before them.

A man and a lady.

Reiju’s jaw slackened when she recognized the beautiful face of that lady. Long wavy brown hair and coffee-colored eyes. Her appearance was the same since Reiju last saw her but what sent a shiver down her spine was the _eye_ on the lady’s forehead which was staring directly at her.

“Pudding,” Reiju muttered. “So that whole conversation with your sister…”

The lady smirked. “It’s easy to lure a mouse into a trap, don’t you think, Big Brother Oven?” Pudding’s lovely face was far from the cutesy demeanor she was always showing to others. Right now, she appeared vicious and hostile, with that nasty smirk and deathly glare on her small face. She looked like a totally different person.

The man beside her laughed. “My little sister let you hear our plan intentionally,” he confessed, “So we’ll have enough reason to kill the Vinsmokes tonight.”

Reiju’s face paled and Sanji’s eyebrows furrowed. Stepping in front his sister and protectively defending her, he said, “Big Mom will reprimand you for this.”

The two siblings laughed like it was the most hilarious thing they’d ever heard. “Oh, please, Sanji. Mama will reward us for this,” Pudding answered, “she’s always wanted the Vinsmokes _dead_ ‘cause the only thing that she wants from rotten creatures like you are your wonderful technologies. You’re nothing but mere pawns for her.”

Sanji’s hands balled into tight fists and he resisted the urge to talk back to her. No matter how rude or evil a woman was to him, his chivalrous self could never do such an unforgivable thing to a lovely lady.

“I’m sorry, Sanji.”

Turning his head behind him, Sanji saw the guilt contorting his sister’s face. “It’s not your fault,” he assured her but the look on Reiju’s face told him that she would forever carry this burden if ever he died right here, right now. She was blaming herself for this and Sanji’s heart ached a bit for his sister’s misery.

“Sanji-kun.”

Sanji’s head whipped toward the source of that voice. Perospero emerged behind them, stepping out of the dark shadows in the tunnel and licking disgustingly on that large candy he’d always carried with him. “I have something for you,” he said and with a flick of his finger, two blobs of candy melted from the exterior wall of the chateau and dropped down on the ground.

Sanji’s eyes popped out of their sockets and his mouth hung open in muted horror as he stared at the limp figures encased by those dangerous blobs of molten candy. “I caught these two flies lurking in the town outside the chateau. I watched them from afar and I’ve always known that _he_ will come for you.”

Perospero walked and stopped beside Sanji, taking in the blond’s furious glare. A smirk formed on his lips and he whispered, “Did you have fun in your chamber, Sanji-kun?”

The colors on Sanji’s face went down the drain and it was the only confirmation which Perospero needed before he let out a loud, harsh laugh. Walking toward his captives, he said, “These two pirates are under my control and right now, Reiju-chan,” he shifted his gaze to the lady Vinsmoke, “I can feel your father and brothers’ heartbeats in my hands.”

 _Candy Man,_ Sanji thought as he bit the inside of his cheek. So Perospero would kill the Vinsmokes in their sleep? What a sneaky and evil way to kill somebody.

Sanji’s eyes landed on Zoro and Law. They were conscious but barely moving. Whatever Perospero gave them was effective enough to rattle their monstrous system.

 _Like that poisonous gas he used on you in Bartero Island to kidnap you,_ he thought.

The sudden realization hit Sanji in the gut and he bared his teeth toward his enemies. “Why are you doing this?” he hissed.

“We can’t let our perfect big brother, Katakuri, marry someone who’s as low as you,” Oven reasoned out. “You’re a low-class pirate from a no-name pirate crew. You even have the blood of these dirty warmongers!” He pointed an accusing finger toward Reiju. “You’re not even qualified to walk on the same ground as our brother.”

Sanji felt his rage firing up his system, releasing small sparks of flame from his feet and fingertips, as the cruel insult cut him deeply. Perospero saw the shift in his aura and, knowing what Sanji was capable of, lifted his finger to make the candy wrap tighter around Zoro and Law.

“You know I can kill these two in three minutes, Sanji-kun,” Perospero said threateningly and Sanji’s aura dissipated a little.

Pleased, Perospero added, “Let’s play a game, shall we? The one which Mama has always loved.”

And with a flick of his finger, an army of soldiers accompanied by several of his siblings came out from the chateau, circling around them and effectively trapping him and Reiju. “Sanji-kun,” Perospero began, “I will let these two flies walk away… if you give me what I want.”

With barely contained anger, Sanji growled, “What the hell do you want?”

“A life for a life,” Perospero stated and flashed him a ruthless smirk, “You and your sister’s in exchange for these two pirates’ freedom.”

A low growl resounded in Sanji’s throat. This bastard. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to rack his brain for a possibility of an escape, on how he could free Zoro and Law without letting his sister die. He was on a tight spot and he was seriously running out of options.

Giving out a pointed glare toward Perospero’s direction, Sanji said, “My life for Zoro and Law’s freedom. Leave my sister out of this.”

“Sanji,” Reiju called his name and if he knew his sister better, then Sanji would be certain that he felt a tinge of worry in her voice.

“C-Cook.”

Sanji’s heart skipped a beat and his eyes instantly found that man’s face faster than a blink. Zoro’s teeth were gritted as he struggled to keep himself conscious. “Zoro,” Sanji said as his eyebrows knotted in concern.

“D-Don’t,” the swordsman added.

Biting his lower lip, Sanji said, “I couldn’t let you die.”

Oven took out his sword and walked toward him. As the blade was raised up in the air, he heard Zoro shout “Cook!” in a strained voice. Sanji let his cigarette fall between his feet. He should’ve lit it earlier. Fuck.

He sensed the blade going down and it was probably going to cut him in half. What a disgusting way to die. _Like butchered meat_ , Sanji thought and he snorted. He was losing it. He was about to die and yet he was thinking of food.

His right foot was tingling with restrained power and the urge to kick this motherfucker away. Sliding his hands inside his pockets, he threw the deadliest glare that he could muster toward his assaulter as he braced himself for the upcoming attack.

If he was going to die right now, then fuck, he wouldn’t flinch in fear, not even in the slightest bit.

* * *

 

Zoro wasn’t blinking. He could feel his heart stop when the blade slashed down, piercing through the air and threatening to cut the cook into fucking _half._ He heard himself scream, but he didn’t know the words which came out from his mouth.

His stare wasn’t leaving Sanji. His eye was wide open when that piercing blue gaze bore holes on his opponent, strong and defiant like what the blond had always been.

Zoro’s breath caught and his heart pounded painfully inside his chest. He thought it was too late, that he had failed the cook, that he wasn’t able to protect him even when he promised to do so just merely hours ago.

A huge figure suddenly dropped down from the tower above, his fall creating a huge crater on the ground, and Zoro’s jaw slackened in surprise as the newly arrived man deftly stopped the powerful blade of Big Mom’ son with just a single hand.

* * *

 

Sanji’s eyes flew wide open as his mouth hung in shock. The man was standing between him and Oven, shielding him from the sharp blade that was about to take his life.

His crimson eyes scanned the crowd like a hawk. “What the hell’s happening here, Oven?” he asked.

Oven jumped back, the look of utter surprise shown on his face. “Big Brother Katakuri.” Sheathing his sword, he added, “We can’t let you marry this lowly Vinsmoke. He’s not a match for someone who’s as perfect and powerful as you!”

“Big Brother Oven’s right!” Pudding seconded as all of their other siblings agreed in unison. “We can’t let you marry that… _thing_.”

Zoro’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the cruel insult. “Fuck you, woman! He’s not a goddamn object!”

“Zoro!” Sanji stopped him before he could say anything further. Whether it was to prevent Perospero from killing him for his loud mouth or for speaking like an uncultured idiot to a lady, Zoro didn’t care. He wouldn’t let anyone talk ill about his lover in front of him, lady or not. He wouldn’t show mercy upon those who humiliated the man he loved the most.

“You don’t get to decide things for me, beloved sisters and brothers,” Katakuri spoke seriously, “Only Mama and I can have a say to my wedding. I will marry whoever I want.”

His siblings gasped and recoiled in shock. “What are you talking about, Big Brother Katakuri?!” Charlotte Muscat exclaimed. “Has that rotten Vinsmoke drugged you?”

The sibling banter continued but Sanji couldn’t hear a single thing. His eyes were fixated on Katakuri, his eyebrows knitted tightly in bewilderment and his head malfunctioning because of the sudden turn of events. What the hell was this man doing here? He’d marry whoever he wanted? What the fuck did that even mean?

“What are you doing?” Sanji asked.

Katakuri looked over his shoulder and their gazes met. He didn’t say a word to him but that moment of wordless silence caused Sanji’s confusion to aggravate. What the fuck was this big guy doing?

Before another scene unfolded between them, Sanji heard a loud shout ringing from the sky. When he lifted up his head, his eyes bulged from their sockets when he saw a person – a _person_ – falling down from the sky with a speed of a fucking rocket.

“SAAAAAANJIIIIII!”

There was a loud crash as _he_ hit the ground. Some soldiers were blown away by the impact and Sanji felt his foot slip a bit. There was smoke, no, _steam_ rising out from _him_ as _his_ whole body flared up an angry red color.

 _His_ dark eyes landed on Katakuri, fearless and challenging. “I won’t let you take my cook away,” Luffy said threateningly.

Sanji heard a chuckle behind him and he saw Reiju smiling at him. “Right on time.”

“You…” He wasn’t able to continue what he was going to say because he already knew what his sister had done. A smirk slowly formed on his lips as the realization dawned on him.

Reiju called for his crew’s help even before the fiasco of their escape plan.

“Luffy! I told you to not run on your own!”

Sanji’s ears perked up. He could recognize that sweet lovely voice from a hundred miles. “Nami-swaaaan!”

“Straw Hats!” Charlotte Mont-d’Or shouted and the soldiers ran to fight with the Straw Hat crew.

“What happened? Why is that bastard Straw Hat here?” one of Big Mom’s children exclaimed.

“What happened to Brulee?”

“Big Brother Cracker’s supposed to fight with him! What the fuck’s going on?”

A smirk formed on Sanji’s lips. These idiots didn’t know how strong his captain was.

Luffy bolted for Katakuri and Sanji immediately took Reiju’s hand to flee from the fight. His captain had already set his eyes on his opponent; nobody could stop him now.

When he turned his head around toward Zoro’s direction, he saw a ring of fire burning around him and Law, melting the candy wrapped around their bodies, and if it weren’t for Usopp standing near beside them, his Kabuto pointed dangerously at Perospero, then he could be certain that the two men were in serious shit considering the amount of flame around them.

After a while, he saw Zoro and Law jumped out of the flame, their swords bared threateningly toward Perospero. “You bastard,” Zoro growled at him.

“I’ll help the others,” Law said and ran away to fight alongside Nami and the others.

“Usopp!” Sanji called out. “Take Reiju with you! Release my father and brothers from the candy!”

“I understand!” The sharpshooter nodded.

“Wait, Sanji,” Reiju said as she tugged on her little brother’s arm. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, I am,” Sanji responded. “I hate them, but I can’t just let them die.”

Reiju stared at him seriously and after a moment, a smile appeared on her pink lips and nodding, she said, “Okay.”

Usopp and Reiju sprinted toward the chateau. Perospero was nowhere to be seen, probably running away to avoid fighting with Zoro, and Sanji could clearly see how pissed off the man was because of it.

Kicking his way through a bunch of soldiers, Sanji’s heart beat rapidly as the distance between him and the swordsman grew closer. “Zoro!”

And with a powerful slash, the swordsman sent his opponents flying, creating a gust of wind that could uproot a heavy tree. Zoro ran toward him and when he was finally within his reach, Sanji hooked his arms around his neck and smashed his lips against the man’s.

It was quick, but fierce and full of unspoken gratefulness for being inside each other’s arms once again. “You fucking idiotic cook,” Zoro hissed as he bit Sanji’s lip hard in punishment. The blond groaned as he felt a stinging pain on his lip. “How dare you throw away your life like that?”

“I can’t let you die,” Sanji repeated as he released himself from the kiss.

Zoro glared at him. “After this shit’s done, I’m going to kick your ass.”

Sanji snorted. “Like you ever can, Marimo. How’re you feeling?”

“Better,” Zoro said and jerked his head to his left. “I’ll take this side.”

“Okay.” Sanji nodded and ran toward the direction which Zoro indicated.

“Oi!”

Laughing, Sanji waved a hand in the air to annoy the fuming swordsman. That dumb idiot would surely run towards the opposite direction so Sanji was just trying to save them some time.

His eyes scanned for that little tuft of green hair in the crowd. When he didn’t find who he was looking for, Sanji closed his eyes and let his Observation Haki heightened up his senses. His haki caught his son’s aura blending among the shadows in the woods, hiding behind the leaves and branches of a large oak tree. There was another familiar aura with him and Sanji’s lips curved into a smile.

 Chopper, in his Walk Point, was carrying Kaitarou on his back.

Swords, spears, Devil Fruit’s powers. They were everywhere and the battlefield was in mayhem. Sanji landed on his feet after a round of concasse and he could already feel the exhaustion seeping through his system.

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he was just about to run toward his precious Nami-san to help her when he felt something sticky wrapping around his ankles. “What the–”

“You will die here, Vinsmoke!” Charlotte Opera shouted as blobs of whipped cream came out from his hand, trapping Sanji like a helpless rabbit caught in a snare.

There was a loud crash behind him and when he lifted his blue eyes up, he saw a huge – fucking _huge_ – piece of the chateau falling down on him. His heart dropped on his feet and his mind was rid of other thoughts aside from that humongous piece of heavy cake threatening to crush him down.

He heard Zoro’s voice but he wasn’t sure what happened next as the gigantic thing fell on him. His eyes were shut tightly and he lifted his arms protectively over his head.

He wasn’t dead though. For when he opened his eyes, he saw that _same man_ who had saved him earlier covering him with his massive body, the slab of cake propped against his back, his knees bent down to support the enormous weight.

Sanji saw the trail of blood dripping down the side of his face but what surprised Sanji the most was that _sharp_ set of teeth lining his mouth. The huge scarf was torn and hanging around his neck like a useless piece of fabric.

What the hell? Where the fuck was Luffy?

Katakuri opened his eyes slowly, his gaze finding that pair of shocked blue eyes, and for a split second right there, he saw Sanji as one of those kids bullying him when he was still young.

_“You have ugly teeth!”_

_“I don’t want to play with you!”_

_“You’re a monster!”_

_“Monster!”_

_“Monster!”_

_“MONSTER!”_

Katakuri heard a laugh. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched Sanji covering his mouth with the back of his hand and trying to contain his laughter. “So that’s what the huge scarf is about,” the blond said as a playful smirk curved up the corners of his lips, “Perfect brother my ass. Your teeth are just as weird as my curly eyebrows. Idiot.”

Lips parting in surprise, Katakuri stared at him with wide eyes. He’d expected Sanji to be afraid of him, or probably mock him for his monstrous appearance. But instead, the blond laughed at him and pointed out how weird his teeth were.

He didn’t worship him like a perfect being just like what his siblings did. He didn’t throw cruel words at him or see him as someone whose existence wasn’t necessary to this world. Sanji’s words were playful… and almost friendly.

A weird feeling crept inside Katakuri’s chest and he felt an invisible hand squeeze his heart. What… was that?

The whipped cream around Sanji’s ankles dispersed, probably assuming that he was already dead. Punching a huge hole against the huge slab of cake, Katakuri jumped outside as Sanji followed behind him shortly.

“Big Brother Katakuri!” Charlotte Amande exclaimed.

“That Vinsmoke is still alive!”

“Why did you save that rascal, Big Brother?”

Katakuri turned around to face his siblings. They gasped when they saw his sharp teeth, eyes wide in shock and mouth hanging open in horror.

“You…” the kid, Charlotte Flampe, said as she raised a shaky finger toward him. “You’re not my perfect big brother! You look hideous! You’re a _monster_!”

Katakuri stared at his siblings in silence. He was used to it, to be the subject of harsh and cruel words, so there was practically nothing new to it. Sanji, on the other hand...

“SOUL KING!”

Another loud crash came from the chateau, from one of the largest chambers in the castle, and a shadow jumped from the huge crack on the wall.

“Yohohoho!”

With wide blue eyes, Sanji’s mouth stretched into a broad grin. “Brook!”

“Cien Fleur: Wing!”

A slim figure flew from the chateau and gripped Brook’s arms, her wings flapping in the night sky like a hundred flowers blooming in spring.

“Robin! Brook!” Nami sprinted towards them, watching as both of her nakama landed safely on their feet.

“You made it!” she said happily. “Just when did you get here?”

“This morning,” Robin answered, “probably a few hours after your arrival. We saw the Heart Pirate’s ship docked near the eastern coast.”

“Robin-san and I were able to steal the map from one of Big Mom’s daughters sauntering around Cacao Island,” Brook added, “it contains the fastest, top secret route leading to Whole Cake Island, so even though we took the passenger vessels for transportation, we were able to get here on time. Furthermore, we were also able to know the location of the Road Poneglyph because of her other siblings living in the island.”

“How did you steal the map and get that information from Big Mom’s children?” Nami asked suspiciously and Robin just gave her that familiar, mysterious smile.

“With a bit of persuasion.”

Nami’s eyebrow arched and a knowing smirk quirked up the sides of her lips. Persuasion. Robin had never used “persuasion” without a few sets of broken bones. She might have an angelic face, but the lady was more ruthless and cunning than her.

And Nami loved her for it.

“SOUL KING!!!”

Big Mom’s voice boomed over them, her angry voice echoing around the island like hell rising up from the deepest part of the earth.

“We need to hurry,” Brook interrupted, “I already have the copy of the Road Poneglyph, so if Sanji-san’s ready to go…”

“Right. Lead the way,” Nami said as she followed behind Robin and Brook.

“I gave Franky the map before Brook and I searched for the other siblings,” Robin stated as they ran away from Big Mom’s wrath, “they’ll be here in a short while.”

And just like that, right after the archeologist spoke out the last word, a huge object dropped down near the coast with a loud _splash_ , startling the enemies for a moment and giving the three Straw Hats the perfect opportunity to thrash their opponents around.

Nami’s head whipped toward the direction of that splash and her heart pounded excitedly inside her chest. Joyful tears welled up in her eyes as relief flushed down her system.

It was the Sunny.

Robin walked beside her, tapping her shoulder once before giving her a lovely smile. “See?” she said, “I told you they’ll be here in a short while.”

-TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two remaining updates for this story: a long Chapter 42 and a short epilogue. I hope you'll stay with me until the end. Thank you very much for reading!


	43. Sensibilities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER. AHHH. THE EPILOGUE WILL BE POSTED VERY VERY SOON. PROBABLY TOMORROW IF EVER I FINISH IT EARLY.

**Chapter 42: Sensibilities**

“SOUL KING!”

Sanji’s head whipped up to see a furious Big Mom standing near the large hole against the chateau. She looked... weird, like a child crying over a stolen lollipop.

“Mama’s having a tantrum!”

“Give her what she wants or Whole Cake Island will be destroyed!”

“Get that ‘Soul King’!”

“Hurry!”

Suddenly, the man standing in front of him was blown away by a powerful punch. Shifting his attention toward the assaulter, Sanji’s lips curved up to see his captain in his Gear Fourth. However, a few seconds after that attack, Luffy fell from the sky, his skin turning back to its usual color, and Sanji jumped up to save him.

“Sanji,” Luffy said, smiling weakly.

“You won’t be able to transform back in ten minutes, right?” Sanji asked as he Sky Walk-ed toward the Sunny.

Judging from the cuts and bruises on his body, Luffy had undoubtedly fought powerful enemies on his way here. And after his captain nodded, his head dropped down and, shit, could he really sleep in a time like this?

Chuckling because of Luffy’s idiocy, Sanji’s eyes scanned the crowd for Chopper and his son. He saw them fleeing toward the ship as well, Kaitarou riding on Chopper’s back and hugging his neck, as the doctor in his Walk Point ran as fast as the wind.

“Get to the Sunny!” he heard Nami shout.

As he gathered up his strength for more forceful kicks, Sanji wrapped his arm tighter around his sleeping captain and quickened up his steps. He was being shot and a bullet grazed his calf but he payed no attention to the bleeding and the stinging pain. Zoro and his captain had suffered more damage than him, thus he had no right to complain about a little cut on his calf.

Dropping his captain on Sunny’s lawn, his eyes immediately landed on his nakama who were scrambling toward their stations to help Franky maneuver the Sunny.

“Papa!”

Sanji’s heart skipped when he saw his son running toward him. His arms instantly wrapped around that precious little one, burying his face on Kaitarou’s hair and afterwards kissing the kid’s forehead, nose and cheeks as affection drowned him right to his very center.

“Oh my God,” Sanji muttered breathily as his hands cupped his son’s face. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Kaitarou answered, “I’m happy Papa’s back.”

Fuck. He could cry right there. Ah, shit.

“Daddy’s still not here.”

“What?” Sanji asked in surprise. Again, he skimmed through his nakama and finding no moss-headed idiot among them, Sanji cursed silently and said to his son, “Go to where Sora-neechan is, okay? Don’t leave the ship.”

When Kaitarou nodded, Sanji pressed a hasty kiss on his forehead and uttered “I’ll be right back” before he stood up and jumped over the railings to find that stupid Marimo.

* * *

 

Zoro’s grip on his katanas tightened. Setting his feet apart in a perfect stance, he launched forward for an attack.

Agilely, Katakuri blocked his swords with his mochi and his eyes narrowed. “Roronoa Zoro.”

“Am not interested with introductions,” Zoro said and jumped backwards to put a comfortable distance between him and his opponent. “Stay the fuck away from the cook. I’m taking him back with me.”

“The cook,” Katakuri spoke, “Black Leg.”

Zoro smirked. “Yeah. That dumbass shitty cook.” The powerful blades of his katanas glinted and in a blink of an eye, a fight broke out between him and Katakuri.

He was mad – angry at this man in front of him. His opponent was the cook’s fiancé and that reason alone was enough to kick his ass. He wouldn’t let another man take away his lover. Fuck, no. Not over his dead body.

“Why are you doing this, Roronoa?” Katakuri asked as his arm coated with thick mochi clashed with the swordsman’s ruthless swords.

“’Cause I love him,” Zoro reasoned out through Wado’s hilt tucked between his teeth.

Katakuri’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. “Love.” The word sounded foreign to his own tongue. He’d never loved someone before, probably not in a romantic sense. He didn’t even know if he was capable of that emotion in the first place.

Zoro backflipped and landed solid on his feet. “You don’t love anyone, do you?”

The question buffered inside Katakuri’s head for a few seconds before his gaze fixed on the swordsman. “I love my siblings.” He did. Even though they laughed at him, he still felt attached to them, willing to protect them and his crew with his life.

“Then tell them to back off before they get hurt,” the swordsman said and surged for another attack.

Katakuri lifted his arm, summoning his strength for another punch, and when his fist went down, his eyes flew wide open when his mochi collided not with sharp blades but with a _leg_ toughened with Armament Haki.

The surprise on the swordsman’s face was apparent too, his bite on Wado’s hilt slackening a bit and his tensed shoulders sagging a fraction.

Sanji’s eyes stared directly at Katakuri, his dynamic spirit reflecting on that piercing blue gaze. “I know you’re not as bad as they say,” he began, “I know you’ll understand. Let’s stop this, Katakuri.”

“Stop interrupting, Cook–”

“Shut up, Zoro!” the blond shouted, lowering down his leg as Katakuri retrieved his fist.

Shifting his attention back to the big guy in front of him, he said, “I won’t marry you. I’m sorry.”

Katakuri was silent for a moment, his expression deadpan but somehow meditative. After a while, his crimson eyes held contact with the blond’s blue ones and calmly, he spoke, “I know.”

There was a wordless moment between them for a while, with just Sanji’s eyes holding contact with Katakuri’s  acquiescent gaze.

“PROMETHEUS!”

The three of them whipped their heads up as a huge ball of fire formed in the night sky, as bright and hot as the sun.

“Go.”

Sanji’s eyes flicked toward Katakuri. “What?”

“I’ll handle Prometheus,” Katakuri said, “Go.”

Lips parting in surprise, Sanji couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Katakuri was... letting him go? What?

The ball was growing bigger and the flames were becoming more turbulent–

“Let me just have this one request.”

The man bent forward and pressed his lips against Sanji’s. It was just a slight press of skin against skin, hasty and gentle, but it seemed to rob the blond from his thoughts. With eyes blown wide, Sanji’s whole body tensed and he couldn’t quite decipher what the _actual_ _fuck_ just happened.

“Go, and be happy.” After those words, Katakuri jumped high up in the air, his mochi supporting him in his path toward Big Mom, toward that great ball of fire.

“That... that bastard!”

Sanji snapped back to reality when his vision caught the black coat of the swordsman, his idiotic lover sprinting toward the side of the chateau and attempting to climb his way up. Cursing, Sanji ran after him.

“Zoro!” he yanked the swordsman’s arm. “Stop! This is not the right time for that! We have to go!”

“I’m gonna kill that fucking bastard,” Zoro growled in rage as his teeth sunk deeper on Wado’s hilt.

“Kaitarou is waiting for us. We have to go.”

Zoro’s grip on his katanas slackened a bit and the tension on his neck and shoulders diminished slowly. Sighing in reluctance, the swordsman said through gritted teeth, “Fine.”

As they both fled toward the Sunny, Sanji’s mind kept slipping on that kiss which Katakuri gave him. Biting his lower lip, he mulled over the different possibilities as to why the man would do that to him. Did he... have feelings for him? Or was it just a good bye?

Through his peripheral vision, Sanji could see the hard lines on Zoro’s face, the tight crease between his eyebrows and the way his teeth were biting a bit forcefully on the hilt. He was fucking pissed off, but he couldn’t blame him for feeling that way because if he were on his shoes, he would probably react the same.

The two pirates jumped on board as the Thousand Sunny started to sail on its course. Shouts from Nami were heard, ordering the crew on what to do. There were fleets blocking their path and as two pirates ships crashed beside Sunny, the enemies jumped down from the vessels and swarmed Sunny’s lawn.

A fight broke out and there was no way to ascertain everyone’s safety.

“SOUL KING!”

 Sanji’s eyes darted toward Big Mom who was riding a huge thunder cloud. Why was she here? Did Katakuri fail to subdue her?

“PROMETHEUS!”

The large fire ball was thrown at them, and for a split second right there, Sanji thought that they would all burn to ashes. However, a gigantic tidal wave was summoned from the sea, fighting for domination against that ball of fire.

As the fire died down, another wave came out from the depths of the ocean and attacked Big Mom, toppling her and causing her to fall from the giant thunder cloud.

The Straw Hats all stared at the man standing on Sunny’s deck. After a while, their faces split into wide grins as they all called his name.

“JINBEI!”

The fishman smiled. “Can’t let my crew down, can I?”

The fight continued and as cannonballs were fired toward their direction, some of the enemies’ pirate ships exploded, causing tremendous confusion among the Big Mom Pirates.

“What’s going on?” Smoothie asked.

“It’s the Germa, General Smoothie!”

“What?!” Smoothie took the binocular and saw the line of battle ships approaching their fleet. “Those damn Vinsmokes!”

Sanji’s jaw slackened when he saw his siblings flying over the Sunny. Reiju dropped Usopp on the lawn as the sharpshooter yelled for his life. The lady caught his gaze and gave her little brother an affectionate smile before flying away to fight with the Big Mom Pirates.

“Scared, brother?” Yonji said to him with a smirk.

“We’ll help your little crew escape from this island,” Niji added.

“This island is now under Germa’s wrath,” Ichiji declared, “no soul shall be spared for attempting to kill the kingdom’s royal family.”

“You guys,” Sanji muttered in perfect shock. His siblings were... helping him? His eyes darted toward the figure of his father standing on the main battleship. Their gazes locked for a moment before Vinsmoke Judge averted his eyes and proceeded to command his army.

A muscle on Sanji’s jaw jumped and he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. No matter what happened, there were certain things that just couldn’t be fixed, right?

* * *

 

Nami led Ranport, Vallo, Sora and Kaitarou down to the lowest level in the Sunny where they could hide safely – the Docking Room.

Pushing them inside one of Franky’s storage rooms, she said, “Stay here. I’m going to help the crew fight with the Big Mom Pirates upstairs. Lock the door, okay?”

 When all of them nodded, Nami closed the door to keep them safe and turned her back to head for the ladder. But...

She heard a noise coming from the floor above her. No, they weren’t just noises. _Footsteps,_ she thought and stealthily hid herself behind the barrels of cola. The booted footfalls came down with a thump on the wooden floor.

Gripping her Clima Tact tightly, Nami listened to the intruder’s footsteps, her heart beating loudly inside her chest as she took in deep calming breaths to steady herself.

Kaitarou felt Sora’s hands tremble on his abdomen. Laying his tiny hands over the teenager’s, Kaitarou flashed him a gentle smile and Sora’s nerves calmed down a fraction because of it.

The storage room was small and dark, with only a round window as the only source of light from the outside room. All of them listened silently as the footsteps grew louder in each passing second, causing their heartbeats to escalate especially when a shadow blocked the light coming from the porthole.

Kaitarou swallowed as he heard shaky breaths coming from Sora behind him. He heard the knob turn unsuccessfully and his breath caught inside his throat when a lightning bolt suddenly flashed outside the porthole.

“You scumbag,” Nami snarled through gritted teeth. “How the hell did you get in?!”

A mischievous smile stretched across _his_ lips as tiny blobs of _candy_ fell from his hands. “I’m not obliged to answer your questions, Nami-chan,” Perospero said as the molten candy suddenly surged through the air and attacked Nami.

“Thunderbolt Tempo!” Nami summoned her lightning bolts once again, effectively frying and dissolving the candies that were trying to strike her.

She jumped back as another wave of candy was sent to her way, but as she landed on the wooden floor, her foot slipped when the sole of her sandal came in contact with the slippery texture of the man’s candy. It was a trap.

Nami screamed as the thick mixture wrapped around her body, and with a flick of the man’s finger, she was sent flying against the ship’s wall, glueing her against it and immobilizing any kind of movement from her neck down.

“Weak,” Perospero spat and sent his candy toward the storage room.

“No!” Nami shouted as the door broke free from its hinges and her companions shouted in fear.

Perospero walked toward the storage room, his lips curving into a nasty smirk as his feral eyes landed on the small figure wrapped inside Sora’s arms. “The little brat,” he said and Kaitarou flinched. “If I can’t kill your fathers, then killing you will be the best way to make them suffer.”

“Get away from him!” Vallo stood on his feet and rushed forward to sink a dagger against Perospero’s chest.

“Dad!” Sora called out to him.

Vallo tried to turn the blade inside his chest, but to his surprise, the man’s shoulders trembled and a harsh laugh erupted from his mouth. “You useless mundane,” Perospero said, “I’m a logia, and your pathetic blade will do no harm to me.”

Vallo’s eyes widened as he felt something pass through his chest. When his gaze dropped down, he saw the man’s hand coated with sharp, hardened candy boring a hole on his body. Vallo coughed blood and Perospero retracted his hand, letting him fall on his knees as his lungs tried to gasp for oxygen.

Everything semeed to be in slow motion for Sora, how his father dropped down on the floor, choking and bathing in his own blood, and how the Candyman smirked in glee at seeing an innocent person die because of his own cruel deed.

Her hands trembled violently as they tried to cover her mouth, tears sprung into her eyes and flowed in steady streams on her cheeks. With shaky breaths and as a searing pain lodge inside her chest, Sora heard herself scream in shock and at the terrifying large pool of blood under the crumpled body of his father lying on the wooden floor.

* * *

 

Sanji’s head whipped around to the source of that scream. He was a ladies’ man, so he was adept in distinguishing a maiden’s voice calling for help from the rest of the species in this planet.

After letting out a barrage of powerful kicks, Sanji turned on his heels and immediately headed down to the stairs leading to the lower levels of the ship.

* * *

 

Perospero’s eyebrow arched in amusement. The little brat was now standing in front of him, with the cute little sword clasped inside his small trembling hands. Kaitarou’s eyes were furious, but he could smell the tremendous amount of fear running through that frail body.

“Kaitarou!” Ranport shouted.

The little kid surged forward and impaled Perospero with his sword. The man laughed at the ridiculous act and he smacked Kaitarou on the cheek through the back of his hand. The kid flew and smashed against the barrels of cola, a pained groan coming out from his mouth as blood came out from the gash on his forehead.

“Kai-chan!” Nami cried as tears started to accumulate in her eyes. “Leave the kid alone! Please!”

Perospero’s boots stepped on the wasted cola on the floor, his eyes glinting in amusement at the little kid’s misery. Ranport tried to throw a punch toward the man, but the pirate sent a huge block of candy on his way and the old man crashed against the wall a few feet behind him.

Perospero bent down and clasped his hand around Kaitarou’s neck, lifting him up in the air as the little kid choked and tried to pry his fingers away.

“Let him go!” Sora snatched the dagger from the floor and tried to stab the man with it, but Perospero sent her flying with just a simple kick to her ribs. Sora coughed out blood as her trembling hand covered the bruising skin on her right side.

“Flies,” Perospero said and directed his attention to the struggling little kid inside his grip. “You look like your fathers, you know. Too bad those bastards won’t see you grow up.”

_“Diable Jambe.”_

Perospero’s eyes widened and when he turned his head around, a flaming kick was already rushing toward him, piercing through the air faster than lightning. He blocked the attack with his large lollilop, but when he saw the edges melting because of the tremendous heat radiating from the man’s leg, he immediately said, “You know I can easily coat this kid with my candy, right, _Black Leg._ ”

With eyes burning with fury, Sanji jumped backwards and extinguished the flames engulfing his right leg. His hands were tightly balled beside him, the nails digging to his palms painfully as he tried to bottle up his rage.

“You’ve read well,” Perospero said, pleased, and sent a candy toward Sanji’s direction to immobilize him, pushing him against the wall and pinning his limbs.

He threw the kid away and Sanji’s heart stopped when Kaitarou hit the floor hard. His eyes landed on Vallo’s bloodied figure and on Sora’s limp body. A dangerous growl was released from Sanji’s throat and his gaze fired up with feral wrath. “I’m going to kill you, you fucking piece of shit,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

Perospero smirked and landed a blow to his abdomen, causing Sanji to cough and double over as much as his restraints would allow him to. The man punched him, smacked him, kicked him, until his lower lip split and his body ached.

Nami was shouting for the enemy to stop, pleading for her nakama’s life but all of her cries fell on deaf ears.

A hard punch caused his head to roll to the side, his ears ringing and his vision swimming in dizziness. This was nothing. He could take a beating. This shit wouldn’t kill him.

Perospero propped Sanji’s chin with his candy, urging him to look unsteadily at him. “Do you know what it’s like to be a pirate, Black Leg?” the man began. “You have one foot stuck in a grave, inhaling every breath as if it’s your last, chasing impossible dreams, acquiring power, territories, hidden treasures. That’s the kind of life we live in. Love has no place in this world. Or a family. Just power. Authority. Domination. That’s what we have in Mama’s crew. And in a small, powerless, no-name pirate crew like yours, love will just destroy you. That, Black Leg, is your biggest mistake.”

The candy holding Sanji up melted and the blond fell limply on the floor. Perospero kicked him hard, his boot connecting solidly to his side and he banged against the wall.

“Sanji-kun!” Nami cried and the ship rocked as cannonballs continued to fire at them.

Sanji propped an arm beneath him, his throat coughing with blood as the blinding pain on his side caused black spots to appear at the edge of his vision. Perospero walked toward him, the candy wrapping around his arm and forming a sharp blade.

Perospero stopped a few feet away from him and said, “This is the end. For you and for your crew.”

The blade was hoisted up in the air and Sanji gritted his teeth. Nami and Sora shouted his name, voices terrified and eyes full of tears.

“Sanji-kun!”

“Sanji-san!”

Perospero’s eyes widened, his lips parting in surprise as a sword was pushed through his abdomen. When his gaze lowered down, he saw a pair of piercing blue eyes glaring at him, small teeth bared in anger and splotches of blood smeared on his bushy green hair.

Sanji was _speechless._ He could only stare as his son stabbed Perospero with a sword – _black_ coating the sharp blade of his weapon up until his tiny hands. What... the fuck?

“Ha... ki.” Nami’s jaw dropped as her mind was blown by the fact that the small kid could use haki in such a very young age. Was it inherited? A recessive skill? What the hell was going on?

“I won’t let you hurt Papa anymore,” Kaitarou snarled and specks of fire flared around him, disappearing almost immediately after they appeared.

Fire?

Sanji’s mouth dropped when the  sudden realization hit him. Fire. Just like him. Fuck. But... how?

Perospero’s teeth gritted in anger and a wild look twisted his facial features. “You shitty little brat.”

A choked gasp came out from Kaitarou’s mouth when the candy blade went through his chest. Sanji’s world seemed to stop. He wished that his eyes were just playing some kind of nasty tricks on him, that this was just a bad a dream.

But as the little body of his son fell on the floor, blood pouring out from the hole on his chest, Sanji’s heart stopped as the reality of what just happened tore him apart.

Perospero took the sword out of his abdomen and threw it away, his hand covering the fatal wound and his mouth gasping for air.

Nami and Sora were crying and Ranport was scrambling toward the unmoving body of his son. Sanji couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t feel anything. Then suddenly, he saw _red._

Sanji screamed and flames exploded from every pore in his body.

Perospero was hammered down against the floor, a few of his ribs cracking and blood coughing out of his mouth. He could feel something _burning_ on his chest and when his gaze darted upwards, he saw the furious look on Sanji’s eyes.

They were icy cold, vengeful and promising no mercy upon him.

“I’ll fucking kill you,” Sanji growled dangerously and he lifted his flaming leg from the man’s chest and landed a kick to his side.

Perospero groaned in pain as his body flew from the floor, but before he could hit a hard surface, there was another kick delivered to him. He felt himself _floating,_ like a ball being kicked back and forth in the air.

“Sanji-kun,” Nami uttered his name sympathetically. The sudden burst of flame from her nakama burnt other parts of the room. A siren wailed, indicating that a fire broke out from one of the rooms in the Sunny.

The candy wrapped around her and pinning her against the wall started to melt because of the heat. Just a few more and she could free herself and call for help.

Sanji summoned all of his strength and kicked the man with all his might, the flames around his leg burning brighter than the sun and his opponent hit the door of one of the docking systems, crashing against it and creating a huge hole where he went right through.

As Sanji heard the loud splash in the ocean, the flames engulfing him started to dissipate. His fury was still there and he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t think of another thing but anger. _Hatred._ Toward his enemies and toward himself for not being able to protect his son.

“Rain Tempo!”

Drops of water fell down from the rain clouds in the ceiling, extinguishing the angry flames eating up some parts of the room.

“Nami-sis!”

“Franky!” Nami immediately pointed at Vallo and Ranport. “Take them to Chopper immediately! I’ll take care of Sora-chan!”

Nodding, Franky sprinted toward them and lifted them up on his shoulders. Sanji knelt beside his son’s limp form and a new wave of pain stabbed his heart.

Kaitarou was pale and unconscious. He was breathing but the blood coming out of his chest wasn’t stopping.

“Fuck,” Sanji cursed and he took off his shirt to wrap it around his son’s chest tightly, doing a makeshift bandage and applying pressure to the wound. Afterwards, he lifted him up on his shoulder and bolted for the ladder.

Sanji ran, ran, and ran, heart pounding hard inside his chest and looking lost as he carried his bleeding son with both arms.

Franky kicked the door to the lawn open and shouted, “CHOPPER!”

The doctor heard his call and his eyes bulged when he saw the out cold bodies draped on Franky’s shoulders. “Infirmary! Quickly!” he shouted and started to run toward his office.

After a powerful slash, Zoro’s head whipped around to see Franky carrying Vallo and Ranport toward the infirmary. What the fuck happened–

His heart dropped. He didn’t know what to do when he saw Sanji carrying their son inside his arms, the whole picture appearing _wrong_ in all levels.

The expression on Sanji’s face was a look of utter horror and fear, and when their eyes met, he saw how painful tears flowed down in steady streams on the cook’s pale and bruised face. His son was unconscious and there was _blood_ – a large amount of blood – staining his clothes and the cook’s hands.

One of Big Mom’s children was running toward the cook and a cord inside the swordsman snapped. In a blink of an eye, he was between the attacker and his family, mercilessly cutting the opponent in half and blood splattered on Sunny’s lawn.

The swordsman jumped and with a flick of his wrists, a huge tornado broke out and blew the enemies away.

“Usopp!” Nami shouted as she supported Sora on her feet. “Prepare for Coup de Burst!”

“Twenty-three degrees east!” Robin shouted. “The route starts there!”

“Okay!” the sharpshooter replied and immediately made his way toward the helm.

The swordsman’s hands were trembling. Whether in fear or anger, Sanji didn’t know. “Zoro,” he uttered his name shakily.

“Take him to Chopper,” the swordsman said through gritted teeth and the blond nodded. There was no time for conversations.

In the infirmary, Chopper instructed Sanji to lay the kid down on the bed. Law was there too, applying pressure on Vallo’s chest wound. After a while, they felt the whole ship shook and then suddenly, they were flying.

Sanji had his arms around his son, securing him down on the bed as he waited for the Coup de Burst to stop. When the hull of the ship hit the water again, Chopper and Law immediately returned to their tasks.

“Sanji, let go,” Chopper said but the blond wouldn’t let go of his son’s hand. “I need to concentrate. You wait outside.”

Reluctantly, Sanji’s grip slipped from Kaitarou’s hand. His heart was breaking every second his son wouldn’t wake up. The kid’s breathing was shallow and he heard Chopper say something about blood loss and hypoventilation.

“Sanji.”

He let Ranport tug his arm and lead them outside the infirmary. When the door opened, he was greeted by the strong form of his lover, his eyes slowly trailing up to see the hardened look on the swordsman’s face. Suddenly, pain throbbed inside Sanji’s chest and he just threw himself against Zoro, crying on his chest as the man wrapped his arms around him tightly.

Mournful tears fell down on Sanji’s cheeks as choked sobs came out from his mouth. His hands clutched on the swordsman’s coat on his back, feeling the rough fabric bite on his palms.

“So... rry,” Sanji said between sobs. “My... fault.”

“No. No, it’s not,” Zoro murmured near his ear as his thumb rubbed soothing circles on the blond’s shoulder. Whatever happened to their son, he knew that Sanji didn’t have anything to do with it. He was blaming himself because he wasn’t able to protect him. He’d do the same if he were in his shoes.

“Should... have... stayed... with him.” Sanji’s throat felt painful and dry, his voice sounding hoarse and pathetic to his own ears.

“Shh. It’s okay. He’ll live. He’s our son. He’s strong,” Zoro assured him as he pressed kisses on the blond’s temple. He had faith in their son. He had the blood of the two of the strongest pirates in the Grand Line. Zoro knew Kaitarou would make it. He _believed_ in him.

Sora was crying inside Ranport’s arms as silent tears fell down on his cheeks. The crew gathered around them and quietly waited for Chopper and Law’s report.

And when the door to the infirmary opened, everyone’s hearts skipped when Chopper stepped outside, his labgown stained with blood and his forehead damped with sweat. “Kaitarou lost a lot of blood and he needed a transfusion. He has your blood type, Sanji, so I’ll be needing another bag from you,” Chopper said.

“Take how much you need. I don’t care. Just please... save him,” Sanji said as his sobs started to die down.

Chopper nodded. “He’s stable now and currently undergoing transfusion. It’s fortunate that I have your last stash of blood bag inside my refrigerator.”

A relieved sigh came out from Sanji’s mouth and he felt his knees wobble a little. Zoro stepped forward and put his hands on the blond’s shoulders to steady him.

“See?” Zoro whispered to his ear. “I told you he’s strong.”

Sanji’s lips quivered into a smile and he turned around to press his lips against the swordsman’s. “He is,” he breathed out the words as their lips brushed together.

“Sora-chan, Ranport-san,” Chopper said in his professional voice, “Law needs to talk to you.”

The two nodded and went inside the infirmary. Nami noticed the hardened look on Chopper’s face and she asked, “What’s wrong, Chopper?”

The doctor didn’t speak but when the crew heard a loud mournful cry inside the infirmary, they already knew the reason why their ship doctor looked so rigid.

“Let’s give them a moment of privacy,” Chopper said as tears sprung into his big round eyes. “Let Law be with them. Vallo-san _was_ his patient after all.”

* * *

 

It was a peaceful morning, the thick clouds of mists floating on top of the sea and obscuring the first light of dawn.

Brook was playing his violin on deck, a slow concerto of “Bink’s Sake” that was both beautiful and sorrowful. Usopp aimed his kabuto toward the sky, and as the pellet flew into the air, the rounded material burnt and a fire bird illuminated the dull colors of their surrounding.

It engulfed the raft floating away from the ship, its flames hugging every inch of the wood and charring everything it could burn.

“May your soul rest behind the gates of heaven and may your existence be forever engraved in our memories,” Nami said as silent tears escaped her eyes. “For this day marks the fall of a respectable man. A son. A father. And a friend.”

The flames grew bigger as the wooden raft carrying Vallo’s body drifted farther and farther away from them. Wiping the wetness on her cheek, the navigator continued, “We pray for your eternal rest. Good bye, Vallo-san.”

Sanji’s arm went tighter around Sora as the teenager cried quietly. “When he was stabbed and fighting for his life,” Sora began, “my father’s last words to me were...”

Her red-rimmed eyes lifted up to meet his. “‘Your father and I love you.’”

A shaky breath came out from Sanji’s mouth and he hugged Sora until the girl calmed down. Vallo was referring to himself and his lover, the brave man who sacrificed his life so Vallo and Sora could escape from the hands of the people who were trying to kill them.

Ranport took Sora from his arms and they both mourned the pain of their loss. The crew walked away to give them their much needed privacy.

Sanji went to the ship’s stern and folded his arms over the railings. After lighting up a cigarette, he took in a deep drag of the smoke, feeling the toxic fumes circulate inside his lungs and calming him down. He felt an arm wrap around him as a warm body pressed to his side.

“What’re you thinking?” Zoro asked as they both stared at the horizon.

Sanji took the cigarette from his lips and blew out a steady stream of smoke. “I just wish,” he began as his dull eyes stared far ahead in front of him, “that Kaitarou’s awake so he can say good bye to him.”

* * *

 

Law was staring at the waves with dead eyes. He’d been leaning on the railings for thirty minutes, thinking nothing but the life he had lost. His crew told him that he should stay in their own ship, but Law shook his head and stubbornly insisted to see Vallo off.

And now, he was mourning. He wasn’t really sad, no, because he didn’t have any emotional attachment to the man. But each time he lost a patient, there was this _hollowness_ that was boring a hole deep down his chest.

The feeling was heavy, and each time felt as fresh as the first one.

Law’s eyes dropped down on his hands – the hands of someone who could make a difference, who could _save_ a life.

But sometimes, things didn’t go the way he wanted them to be.

“Oi, Torao.”

When Law’s head turned to the side, he saw the Straw Hat captain jumped on the railing and crossed his legs comfortably to balance himself. “Why do you look sad?”

“I’m not sad,” Law said in defense.

“It’s okay to be sad, you know,” Luffy said and turned his head to the side to give Law a soft smile, “it just proves that you’re _human_ and capable of feeling emotions.”

Law didn’t know what the hell happened, but he felt his heart drum inside his chest at Luffy’s words.

“I cried a lot when Ace died,” the captain added as a longing look painted his face, “so it’s okay for you to mourn your patient’s death. I think that’s the burden that a doctor has to be bear. Either you save a life or lose it. Even if you do everything to protect it.”

Law’s lips parted. He didn’t expect for the captain to open to him like this. He knew about Ace’s death, he was there to witness it, but the Straw Hat crew seemed to evade the topic whenever they could. From that, Law assumed that Luffy still couldn’t get over something as painful as losing someone who was so dear to him.

Law understood. After all, he felt the same.

“Cora-san.”

Luffy’s gaze shifted to the man beside him. “What?”

“Cora-san,” Law spoke again, “he was like a parent to me. I lost him when I was still very young.”

The captain nodded in understanding and silence hung between them for a few seconds. “I’m sure he’s proud of you wherever he is right now, you know. That ‘Cora-san.’”

Law’s heart skipped when Luffy took his hand, lacing their fingers together. “What are you doing?” he asked in surprise.

“When we were little, Ace used to hold my hand everytime I cried,” Luffy said as a wide grin stretched across his lips. “Dadan said that what a sad person needs is the assurance that he has someone to hold on to. I don’t understand it, but Chopper always stops crying whenever I hold his hand. Maybe, it’s effective. I don’t know.”

Law’s eyes dropped on their intertwined fingers. Luffy’s hand wasn’t soft and delicate, it was a bit rough and calloused, a sign of strength and hardships in life.

The captain’s skin was a bit paler against his own and his fingers were shorter than his. As Law stared at their hands clasped together, he felt his heartbeat sped up every second. Luffy was smiling at him and that wonderful smile was the only thing that Law could see right now.

He felt his own lips curving up at the corners and he bowed his head to hide it from the captain. And for once in his terrible and miserable life, after Corazon’s death, he had a hand which he could always hold on to.

-TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. I kinda ship Katakuri x Sanji. *hides face in my hands*


	44. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Sanji grabbed the envelope from the mail bird’s beak, shooing it away afterwards so he could have a moment of privacy as he read the contents of the letter.

He’d sent a letter to Zeff before about, well, Kaitarou and his condition. He stared at the messy handwriting of his foster father printed in ink at the back of the envelope. Sanji swallowed his nervousness and thought that it wouldn’t change its contents even if he had to stare at it for hundreds of years, so he’d better open it to stop his agony.

He lifted the folded paper inside and placed it under his nose, inhaling the familiar scent of fried rice and mixture of rare herbs and spices. An affectionate smile curved the sides of his lips, fuck, he missed the Baratie so much.

As he slowly unfolded the paper, Sanji’s heart pounded a bit louder inside his chest, perhaps due to excitement and nervousness of hearing from the old man after four long years.

“Eggplant,” Sanji read the first word and he smiled instantly at that.

_Eggplant,_

_So you got a weird condition, eh? Well, it doesn’t suprise me ‘cause I’ve always thought that you’re an odd one and sometimes, I regret keeping an ungrateful brat like you._

Sanji laughed. That shitty old man.

_Baratie’s doing well. Better, actually, without a snotty little eggplant like you here._

Rolling his eyes, Sanji said, “Idiot.” His old man cried when he left the the restaurant and he was just so stubborn to admit that he’d missed Sanji too.

_Who’s the bastard that knocked you up? Bring him to the restaurant after you find All Blue. I’ll decide whether to cut his testicles or not._

Sanji burst out laughing because of that shit. He could imagine it all right, Zoro seating in front of his old man and explaining himself how the _deed_ happened. Then he could see Zeff aiming a kick to the Marimo’s head for it. Shit. It would be awkward but fucking hilarious.

_Mail a photo of your little brat. I wanna see the weird face of my grandson._

Something fluttered inside Sanji’s chest, a heartwarming sensation which ended in a squeeze to his stomach. _Grandson._ His old man was referring to Kaitarou as his grandson.

_Don’t catch a cold._

_Zeff_

Fuck. He could feel the tears stinging behind his eyes. Fuck. No. No. NO. He wouldn’t cry because of this old man’s words again.

“Shitty old man,” Sanji muttered as he folded the letter once again. He wouldn’t keep this letter. It’d be so weirdly sentimental... But, fuck, maybe he would. Shit.

Nami said that it’d be about a month before they reached the island where the Grand Fleet was currently stationed. He didn’t want to fight a freaking war with a yonkō, not with Kaitarou boarded in a pirate ship. But there wasn’t really much choice, was it?

 It had been three weeks since Vallo’s death, and Sora and Ranport were coping up well. His crew’s naturally joyous character helped. But sometimes, he could see that sad and longing look in Sora’s eyes, a constant hollowness in her chest which no laughter or great company could ever fill.

He remembered that feeling when he thought that he’d almost lost Kaitarou.  That regret, that tremendous fear. The sorrow was eating him up – wholly and unrelentingly – and he didn’t know how he would come back up again if ever his son really did die.

Fuck. He didn’t want to go through that sort of thing ever again.

Kaitarou had been asleep for an entire week, and the waiting phase was goddamn excruciating, but when the kid finally woke up, no words could ever describe how grateful Zoro and Sanji was. Like there was a huge thorn pulled out of their chests in an instant when they saw Kaitarou open his eyes.

Chopper said that the blade didn’t puncture the kid’s heart or any major artery. Just a slight nick to his aorta that was why his son bled out.

Sanji was there when Kaitarou gave the straw hat back to Luffy. The captain was kneeling down beside the bed as his arms were folded and rested comfortably on the cushion.

When his son put the hat on Luffy’s head, his captain grinned broadly at the little kid and said, _“Well done.”_

Sanji opened the door to the infirmary, balancing a tray on his right hand which contained a bowl of soup, poached eggs and baked bread. Kaitarou was awake, his back leaning against a pillow and laughing loudly as Zoro poked his neck with a teddy bear’s fluffy hand.

A wide smile stretched across Sanji’s lips as he watched the two bonding together. Kaitarou and Zoro’s laughs were like music to his ears. He could get used to those sounds forever.

As Sanji walked toward them, his eyes landed on the stuffed animals lying on his son’s bed. Teddy bears of different sizes, types, and colors were all there and looking life a freaking blanket laid on top of his son.

“Where the hell did these all come from?” Sanji asked as he placed the tray down on the table beside the bed.

“The crew,” Zoro answered him as he held a green teddy bear in both hands, “particularly Usopp and the girls. Wanted to give a get-well-soon present to Kaitarou but, yeah, they somehow overdid it.”

Sanji’s face dropped down to his hand in defeat. This was a bit too much. Where the hell was he supposed to put all of these?

“If Kaitarou has this so much toys, what am I supposed to give him for his birthday?” Sanji said, troubled.

“Oh, yeah, right,” Zoro said, “when’s his birthday, by the way?”

“July 7th!” Kaitarou answered and lifted four fingers to his father. “I’ll be four!”

The swordsman laughed. “It’s just less than a month away then.” Shit. He had to think what to give to his son for his birthday. Maybe, he could ask Nami to stop by an island to shop for a gift. Wait. How much was in his savings again? Fuck.

As Sanji fed Kaitarou, his and Zoro’s silly banter continued, sometimes kicking his lover’s feet beside him whenever the swordsman annoyed him by calling his eyebrows a dartboard. And then, suddenly, Zoro became quiet, his back leaning against the back of the chair and his arms folding over his torso.

Sanji was fine with it though. He didn’t need another irritating word from the man that could increase his blood pressure.

However, the silence stretched longer and Sanji was starting to worry that something was up. Hence, he teased him, “Stop thinking so hard, Marimo. You’ll break the last remaining brain cell in that skull of yours.”

“Marry me.”

Sanji froze, the spoon halting an inch above the bowl of soup. His head slowly turned to the side only to be met by a serious grey eye. “What?”

“I said marry me, Cook.”

Sanji swallowed thickly and he felt his heartbeat escalating. Warmth spread across his entire face as a lovely pink color tainted his cheeks and earlobes. “Did you get hit in the head?”

Rolling his eye, the swordsman sighed and looked at their son who was staring at them while hugging a teddy bear inside his arms. “You want Papa to marry Daddy, right?”

Kaitarou smiled and nodded. “Un!”

“You won’t let Papa refuse?”

When the little kid shook his head, a wide and smug smirk formed on Zoro’s lips and he looked at his lover pointedly as if saying “There you have it. Come on, Cook.”

Sanji’s lips parted in suprise and he let out a defeated sigh. “You’re teaming up against me, two Mossheads.”

Zoro and Kaitarou smiled at him and Sanji thought for a moment that they looked so much alike when they smiled idiotically like that.

“Fine, I’ll marry you,” Sanji said with a sigh, feigning nonchalance, but his hammering heart and the redness on his face told him that every fiber in his body was fucking _screaming_ because of Zoro’s words. “So when do we do this ‘marry’ thing?”

The swordsman shrugged. “Dunno. I’ll marry you anytime, anywhere. So it doesn’t matter.”

Fuck this shitty bastard. Saying sweet things like that.

Sanji’s blush became a deeper shade of red and, smirking, Zoro leaned forward to give him a peck on his cheek. “You’re too cute now, Cook.”

Sanji heard his son giggle and before he could kick the Marimo’s ass for embarrassing him, the door to the infirmary suddenly banged open and his crew came crashing down against the floor.

“WHOA!”

“OUCH!”

“You idiot! I told you not to lean so much!” Nami smacked the rubber captain on the head as he continued to laugh at the stupidity of his crew.

Standing up, the navigator pointed a warning finger toward Sanji and Zoro, saying, “Oi! Don’t eat each other up in front of your kid!”

“Your words, Nami!” Usopp lectured her.

Jinbei laughed. “You guys are the best!”

Sanji chuckled as Zoro shook his head. This crew would forever be a weird-ass one, no doubt about that.

“By the way,” the blond began as he placed the bowl of soup back on the table, “I have something to tell you.”

Zoro’s eyebrow arched a bit as he waited patiently for whatever his lover was going to say to him. Sanji’s lips slowly stretched into a smile as he said, “I’m pregnant.”

Zoro wasn’t sure if he heard it right because, fuck, he felt as if his ears rang for a moment right there. The gears inside his head were malfunctioning and probably playing tricks on him. Wait. What did the cook say again?

The swordsman was staring at him agape, a completely dumbfounded and stupid look on his face that made Sanji’s grin grew wider. “You think you’re the only one with a surprise, huh, Marimo?”

“It’s true, Zoro!” Chopper affirmed. “Sanji is three weeks pregnant!”

Zoro’s eye landed on his crew who were all smiling and nodding at him. “You knew about this?”

“Of course, Zoro-san!” Brook confirmed.

“Aw! Just like how we knew you were going to ask Cook-bro’s hand for marriage!” Franky added.

Zoro told them about his plan of marrying the cook, but, fuck, he hadn’t expected for things to turn out this way. He hadn’t known that _he_ would be the one who’d be surprised right now.

Staring at the blond, he asked, “Are you serious?”

Sanji chuckled and leaned forward to wrap his arms around the swordsman’s neck. “Yeah, Marimo.” He kissed the tip of his lover’s nose. “You’re going to be a dad again.”

Cheers and laughters erupted from the crew, but Zoro couldn’t hear anything. His throat suddenly felt painfully dry and, fuck–

Sanji saw the swordsman’s head bow down on his shoulder. With his curly eyebrows knotting in concern, he said, “Hey.”

But when the heard a sniff, a fucking _sniff_ , coming from his right shoulder, Sanji’s heart almost dropped when he realized that his lover was _crying_ softly against him.

“Hey, you okay?” Sanji asked worriedly as panic started to set in. “Sorry. Don’t you want to have another child–”

“No, idiot,” Zoro said in a slightly hoarse voice. “It’s just... I’m overwhelmed. It’s too much.” His hands wrapped around the cook’s waist tightly and he murmured on his lover’s neck. “Thank you, Cook. I’m so happy.”

Sanji felt the wetness against his neck. And letting out a shaky breath as his arms squeezed tighter around Zoro’s neck, he whispered, smiling, “Shitty Marimo.”

“My, my...” Robin tossed a coin toward Nami’s direction and the navigator caught it in the air.

“Thank you,” she said in a singsong voice and kissed her precious money before sliding it between her cleavage.

“Wait, you bet about this?” Usopp asked.

“Couldn’t miss the chance, Long Nose-kun,” Nami said playfully. “I knew Zoro would cry. He said to me before that he’d never cry again, but, well, look at that. Fatherly tears for his unborn child. Touching, isn’t it?”

Usopp chuckled and shook his head. “Yeah,” he agreed, “touching indeed.”

“Papa?”

Sanji released the swordsman from his hold, letting the man look away for a moment to wipe his tears.

“I’m going to be a big brother?” Kaitarou asked with wide, expectant eyes.

Laughing softly at the innocent look on his son’s face, Sanji sat at the edge of the bed and ran a hand through the kid’s green hair. “Yes, sweetie. You are.”

Kaitarou smiled in delight and then aftewards wrapped his arms around his father. “I’m excited!”

Zoro chuckled and sat beside the cook, reaching out a finger to tap his son’s nose. “You’ll take care of your lil’ brother or sister, yeah?”

Kaitarou nodded. “Un!”

Sanji and Zoro laughed at their son’s excitement and they both leaned forward to press a kiss on the little kid’s cheeks.

“Love you, Little Moss,” Sanji uttered affectionately as Zoro spoke at the same time, “Love you, Little Cook.”

And for that, Kaitarou smiled.

**- _fin -_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Click here to view the **[ART BOOK](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14135364/chapters/32574030%22)**
> 
> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR READING UNTIL THE END! I appreciate everyone's love and support for this story and if it weren't for your kind and encouraging words, I wouldn't have made it until this point. It's bittersweet for me, but, well, as they say, "All things must come to an end."
> 
> I must say that I'm not the best writer in the fandom, I have flaws and weak points, and this story has loopholes and indeed far from perfect. Honestly, I oftentimes doubt my writing but your positive words pushed me to strive harder.
> 
> I wrote this story with my heart and soul, gave up sleep just to finish a chapter and stayed up late at night to draw art for my readers so you can have a better visualization of the scenes in the story. This fanfic is a product of my imagination and I would like to say thank you for those who stayed with me until the end, and sorry if ever, along the way, I've disappointed any of you.
> 
> I've been thinking about this carefully and it wasn't actually in my original plan, but from the responses I got, from the encouraging words you've sent me, I thought that, maybe, I could go on with it.
> 
> In other words, dear readers... YES. I'm going to do a sequel for OBHABE. :) 
> 
> You will read more about our cute little moss and his idiotic ZoSan fathers! Stay tuned for the posting date of the next installment. Thank you and God bless!
> 
> E-mail: **ladyelocin.writings@gmail.com**  
>  Instagram: **[@ladyelocin](http://instagram.com/ladyelocin)**  
>  Twitter: **[@LadyElocin](http://twitter.com/LadyElocin)**  
>  Fanfiction.net: **[Lady Elocin](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9411513/)**


	45. Author's Note*

 

 

 

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Of Blond Hair And Blue Eyes **2** is now posted! Read the second installment  **[HERE](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14879508/chapters/34455720).**

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